Dreams Conquer Vengence
by Troublesome Dragon
Summary: <html><head></head>When the rift in time occurs, the earthbound gods escape. Judai leaves to help an ailing dimension. Unprotected, his friends are targeted as powerful hosts. In due time, their bonds with them strengthen. The signers are herded and raised by the dark gods.</html>
1. Goodbye

Goodbye

Late at night, in the park outside her apartment, Yuki Judai did the unthinkable. Cryptically, he called her into its depths. Ill at ease at his request, she stepped into the clearing to meet him. Briefly, he grinned at her approach and without hesitation attacked her. Admittedly, with friendly fire, lips invaded her personal space, displaying vigor she had not seen since their school days. A trifling thought made itself know to her, past worry or fear of this abnormal phenomenon, this is my first kiss.

She spaced, completely at a loss for what to think. No warning at all. If the initial shock of his gesture wasn't enough to rupture her foundation, he leaned in and deepened it. Originally unresponsive to his advance, she met him shyly while he blindly fumbled into unfamiliar territory, searching.

Why now? There must be a reason. No one simply decides to start this sort of interaction in the middle of the night. Well, he doesn't anyway. Idly, her thoughts strayed, reflecting on the last few days. Despite coming to visit her, he buzzed in and out. When he returned, he would st by her window, stiller than she'd ever seen him. His mood shifted constantly from an eyrie calm to a calculated fevered tact which caused him to ask question upon question. At the time, his actions annoyed her. Now she wished she'd paid attention to what he had asked exactly.

Face flushed and her body gently swaying from the encounter, she thought maybe the time to keep quiet was over. Four years, yes, now, she could tell him. He made his feelings clear on the matter.

"Judai I-," She began, unable to suppress her emerging smile, even at the odd hour. Whatever passion struck him prior, left instantly, he cut her off placing his finger tips on her lips. She stared at him, surprised and confused. Removing his fingers, he gave her an apologetic glance. Stepping away from her, he cleared his throat, avoiding her unbelieving stare. Attempting to keep a stoic demeanor, he cast his hand on her shoulder lightly. The tingle of his finger tips felt fragile as if the wind would cast them away and leave her numb.

"Judai we just-" She tried again, wanting some clue as to why he would rob her of sleep and reject her. Shaking his head, he interrupted her feeble attempt to comprehend his motives and hardened his gaze.

"You misunderstand. This is goodbye." Already, the familiar smoke invaded her senses. She shook her head, caught completely off guard. No, he never mentioned this to anyone. She blundered about in denial at what would happen now.

"Judai, you can't..." She trailed off, realizing she no longer had his attention. Following him, she extended her hand, seeking to grab the cuff of his collar as she had numerous times before and prevent him from leaving everyone. She sensed, wherever he went, not one of them would be able to reach him ever again.

The dark amethyst engulfed his figure and he completely withdrew from her, avoiding her last attempt to restrain him. Everything muted, nothing registered for a minute. Then, the empty echo of his footsteps invaded her ear drums. Somehow, she knew her stupid cat door would be uninstalled when she got home. The smell of the dusty earth disappeared. Yuki Judai was gone.

Trembling, she regretted that she never saw the end coming. In the back of her mind, she always recognized the possibility his mission may eventually cause him to drift away from them. She never wanted to be told in such a finite manner. Gradually, she became aware of the cold and the faint drizzle that started to fall.

Despite the shock and the lost familiarity, she stomped back inside. Now a distant memory of their past conversation revealed itself. She swore, tearing up as it replayed itself over and over.

"Do you believe everyone's settled?" Judai asked, an uncharacteristically pensive look on his face. She took note that all the boxes were neatly stacked before picking them up. Turing around, she glanced back at what had been her home for the last four years and replied nonchalantly.

"Everyone's lives are certainly taking shape." Her group of friends where taking the world by storm, and she planned to do the same in her own subtle way. Judai steadied the pile of boxes which began to wobble under her inattentive care. He considered her response for a moment before getting to the heart of the matter.

"Does anyone still need my help at all?" Her mind processed uncertainty in his tone as if what she said next will sway him. Distracted by Fubuki's enthused honks, she ran out, relinquishing control of her things.

"Yes, Judai, no one really needs you anymore." She meant to tease, but she failed to realize a dark shadow cross his face briefly. Casually, he changed the topic and relaxed, and ambled downstairs where she waited below.

Everything in her world would collapse momentarily. Not because it revolved around Judai, but like everyone else, she depended on his subtle guidance and pull to keep her grounded. She single handedly destroyed the balance. Slowly, the others would trickle in and band together briefly at the loss. Unfortunately, a fear gnawed at her that soon after they'd lose contact. The reason they tried so hard to keep in touch literally disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Of course, the worst part for her would be accepting today. The day she convinced herself that Judai did not make her feel cheap and used when he kissed her. Certainly, what they experienced wasn't a true goodbye, almost a way to keep her quiet. The memory scathed her. She trusted him, and her first intimate moment would forever be associated with the pain of loss.

She slammed the door of her apartment upon entry. Animosity bubbled within her as she consider the exchange. Everyone else definitely received a gracious parting. The days he would disappear for hours on end attested to that. She wondered why they did not warn her that he wished to leave. Maybe, again she stood as the last to know when it came to Yuki Judai.

Thoughtfully, the red clad wanderer left her a glass of water to wash away her disappointment. Yes, I'll sleep away my sorrow, and tomorrow will be better. She decided, gulping down the water. She stumbled slightly and her visions began to haze.

A strange feeling washed over her as a sharp prick intruded her system, leaving her in a daze. She sank to the ground while her surroundings slowed noticeably. She clutched the counter top in an attempt to pull herself forward and succeeded only at slamming her forehead. A chuckle shifted her focus and her fingers slipped from their tenuous grip.

"Who's here? Judai?" She ended softly. The laughter deepened and boomed. She clutched her head wearily. The voice sounded so close. Crawling slowly forward, she fought to find the intruder, but the voice clucked in disapproval. _Don't bother. You won't see me._

"What are you?" The creature did not answer but expressed relief. _Good, you're still conscious. It's hard to put the right dose when your possessing a live body. Their hands get shaky._

"Poison?" She drawled, forcing rage into her failing breath. She tensed as her heart thundered, and she imagined it began to sag.

Tendrils of cool liquid tested the waters of her mind, alarming her. She lashed savagely and the being respectfully withdrew. _Stronger than I expected, you'll be an excellent companion should I managed to sway you before your end. _The unknown creature remarked, slightly impressed.

Ignoring the encroaching invisible force, she panicked, processing her options. Someone could help her, and on short notice, she knew only one person who could perform a miracle. Judai, please still be here. She pleaded. Her attempt to move to the phone ended without any progress. She slumped to the side, and the mocking echo persisted as she pathetically tried to save herself. The numbness set in her fingers which now barely shook. She laid down flat on the floor, forcing herself to breathe.

Her gaze shifted to the nearby park, a foreign rage filling her. Trembling, bile forced itself out, the sickening color of rotten tomatoes. She pushed herself back from the unnerving site. Moisture crawled out of her eye sockets. She realized instantly, the site of her blood on her hands when she wiped what she believed to be her tears. Everything was failing: her heart, her mind, and . . . Judai why won't you help me? Judai! Asuka screamed inside her mind, for her throat closed tightly, sealing any opportunity from receiving help from her neighbors. What sort of poison is this? She prompted the beast to answer. Somehow, she gathered her mysterious guest smiled, almost in approval.

_Ancient. But this isn't what you want to talk about, Judai was it?_ The beast inquired, amused at how similar her motives would be to his previous vessel. Defiant, she seethed and hissed at the vile creation who tortured her. Shut up. I don't want to talk to you, murderer. Silence, she sighed and clutched at her heart which protested at the tiny movement.

_I can give him to you._ He offered, bluntly; withholding motivation last time had only resulted in sniveling. She flinched and her eyes drooped desperately conspiring to drift into eternal sleep. She wouldn't last much longer. Her body was shutting down, and it made no sense for her mind to still be so clear. She hated that she considered the offer momentarily before reminding herself of her current predicament. I'm dying.

_I can fix that. I will need something from you in return of course._ The entity proposed, hinting at an alliance. She cringed inwardly, and she felt the pressure in her mind getting worse, never stopping. Always, some damn thing wanted to posses her. Why her? Her first class as a teacher was tomorrow. Now, she would never meet them.

_Ah, I see. You want something else as well. Don't think, say exactly what you want, nothing is too high for me to grant, even life and death._ The being realized, surprisingly eager to beseech her.

Her heart beat simply stopped and her eyes glazed. With clarity, she spoke of her true ambition. I want brilliant kids to teach. I want to help them grow just like . . . everyone I know did. She admitted, completely under his influence for a spell.

If your willing to wait, I have the perfect choices. The creature insisted, pleasured by the tantalizing idea. Relapsing into her past argument, she whispered weakly.

I'm dying. She sensed the being move and press further. She felt relief as her cognitive functioned stabilized.

_We could help each other. Be my host._ Her new life line asked soothingly as if he knew the answer already. What other answer could there be?

Completely surrounded by its presence, the creature comforted her with some unknown power. Part of her retreated, afraid that she craved it like plants crave the sun. Unperturbed by her rejection, he allowed her to know his identity through the delicate connection formed ever since the last drop left her lips. After shortly considering the information, she acknowledged him, Aslla Piscu.

Pleased, the humming bird fluttered at the affirmation and encouraged her wordlessly. She regained her composure enough to sit up, her previous suffering forgotten if not her sudden fragility. Heavily aware that she was clinically dead, she weighed her options. You're keeping me alive. She declared, seeking affirmation. Patient, he responded curtly. _Yes._

If I accept, what would you want in return for your generosity? Asuka implored, suspicious of the dark manipulative creature. Purposely, she kept her tone polite although the word generosity was etched with sarcasm. She wanted to live, and the desire grew with each passing second. However, she also refused to be suckered by another egotistical entity. She would deny him if anything he said rubbed her the wrong way.

_I need a vessel to help me cast the world into a fiery hell with my other brethren._ The monster replied honestly. Asuka found herself contemplating how to slip into unconsciousness and eventual death. The god would not allow her to currently. She'd have to reason with him.

_No, I will not join you. You're wasting your time, find some pitiful sap who will do whatever you want._ She said vehemently. The being once again prevented her from moving her physical body. She slumped back and felt noxious, perhaps reasoning with an ancient entity was a stupid idea.

_I've already tried that. I need someone with a strong resolve. I need an equal._ He reasoned, and she sensed his oddly tender remorse at his previous failure. For once, she didn't feel an abject horror for the creature, but a sliver of curiosity. Did this monstrous bird have feeling than didn't revolve around murder?

For a moment, the bird's consciousness gave her room to think, hiding away in her subconscious. Flattered in spite of herself, she dismissed further thought on joining another attempt to change the world, especially when it was not for the better. The god did not even have the decency to let her go after her refusal. She regretted her life would end so impossibly. She wavered and considered what would happen if she couldn't escape. I wanted to do so much more Now, I'll never-

She stopped herself. The creature invested a lot of time and effort to acquire her. He wanted a better opening to influence her. Judai, why did you pick today to leave earth altogether? She huffed sourly. Her friends were likely being bullied by his brethren, and Judai would never return. She began to rant. Right, Judai, no one here needs anymore mystical help. Then, why am I being held hostage by a death god?

The humming bird stirred and his words echoed in her mind. _If Judai had not left you all, would you be here at my mercy? Do not think you honor anyone by refusing. Tell me what is the one thing that gets his attention?_ He insisted, knowing that he was striking a chord. Again, he coddled her, easing out the answer deeply buried and suppressed. Closing her eyes, she answered, scared at the venom dripping from every word.

People who cause havoc. What do I get for being his friend? He couldn't take two minutes to say goodbye. Instead, he manipulated me so he could leave. Now, Judai won't ever come back. She blinked in surprise as her body regained its function. Radiating smugness, he goaded her.

_Do you want him to return?_ He demanded. An almost painful grip encircled her mind as she finally choked out a response.

"Yes," She raised herself from the ground, dark thoughts overwhelming her. The cool liquid began to spread and strengthened her body. She grabbed a rag from the kitchen and dabbed it with water.

_Do you want to make him suffer?_ He pressed. Allsa Piscu offered, genuinely excited at her progress. She slammed into the wall, causing severe cracking of its surface. Dumbfounded by her increased speed, she slowly proceeded forward to wash the blood off in the bathroom.

"No," She let out raspily. She dropped the rag when she saw her image in the mirror. The whites of her eyes transformed to resemble an empty black void consuming any chance for normalcy. Only her sand dune colored irises as large as ever, distracted from the black exterior. Two vertical thin lines etched her cheeks, marking her supposed alignment with the winged demon.

_Do you want a future?_ The creature interrogated her, nailing her deepest concern. Before she could argue with the parasite, she paused. She couldn't betray everything that she believed in for some sketchy promise. The god interrupted her train of thought and began to coax her once more. She did not understand why as he obviously won entrance into her already.

_You don't know the power of what I offer. True, I will be inside you, but our partnership will be symbiotic._ He assured the failing mortal. She bristled, annoyed that he thought she would reciprocate any favors. If this new existence was going to work for her, she needed proof he could deliver.

She challenged Piscu by retorting tartly. How could you possibly get me kids? The bird chortled unpleasantly and replied in earnest. _Ever consider adoption?_ The suggestion hit her hard, adoption. Not letting herself ponder long, she tested her new senses and performed a back flip into the living room. Okay, but that was only half of what drove her now.

"Judai?" She marveled at how forward she was. The bird groaned tiredly. _You said it yourself. He'll come running if he believes this world is in trouble._ He said, obviously thinking little of the matter. Her motivations felt skewed. She used to be concerned by something else besides her needs. However, when she tried to think of it, her memory blanched. This was not the limit of her doubts. Despite his reassurance, she couldn't help but feel suspicious if he would fulfill his end. She asked the most pertinent question left. When do I get what I want?

_You must be patient. The children I have in mind have yet to be born, and what I ask is years away_, _and only then will I allow you to contact him_. He explained, expecting her absolute obedience. She comprehended the rapid strokes of cool electricity mold a place for Aslla Piscu. In a similar fashion, he aided in easing her troubled mind. Death, Asuka decided made her slightly more complacent as she saw no reason to fight her benefactor. Rocking her hips back and forth, she hummed a foreign tune. Priorities shifted, the idea slipped into her consciousness that the god's planned barred little consequence for her own agenda. The state of the world mattered little as long as she received her payment. Besides, he kept insisting on procuring a certain set of children. The winged beast wanted her partnership, fine, but she would insist on no secrets.

_Why these children?_ She wondered, unsure what a god would want with children. Waves of approval washed over her, and she smiled in response. _Shrewd, have you ever heard the tale of one pissy fickle crimson dragon?_ Allsa Piscu asked, reveling in the opportunity to tell the tale again. She eased herself into a comfortable position on the couch. Grinning, she humored the god.

"I don't believe I have."_Then, this will take sometime._ He cautioned placing himself in his newly formed shelter in her mind. She hummed some more and countered. From what I understand, I have all the time in the world.

* * *

><p>"Judai, what you did was stupid." He nodded, waiting for the portal to open to the dimension which had haunted him in his dreams for weeks now.<p>

"I know." She crossed her arms defensively, uncomfortable. She hated having to voice concerns about his friends. It made her feel like a hypocrite. Only her motivation to keep him from any regret before they left, indefinitely, kept her going. A sour depressed Judai did not sit well with her. Sure, she could destroy a beefy demonic entity single handedly for him, but sometimes he needed protection from himself.

"You couldn't pull off one more teary goodbye? You could still go back." A fairly large grin appeared on his face, he rubbed his head, not looking her in the eye.

"I want her to remember me." Yubel dropped the subject. Judai tended to get testy if she pushed too much on that particular subject. Instead, she chose to repeat their past conversation about his departure. She would be taking careful note if he changed his mind in anyway.

"Judai, are you sure about leaving? I'm sure there's plenty of good you could still do here." Judai rolled his eyes and began a nearly perfected speech.

* * *

><p>"They're ready Yubel, for whatever lies ahead for them."<p>

Johan ducked avoiding the dart headed in his direction. A limp figure continued his way, trudging along, sporting an artificial smile. He dashed away but faltered, unused to the heat bearing down on him. He crashed into quicksand and unseeing eyes loomed over him. He stared up defiantly, cursing his luck at losing Jim, his guide. Johan could only hope that he did not run into a similar struggle.

* * *

><p>"They'll find strengths that they didn't know they had."<p>

Gifting her with knowledge, she hesitated before following Allsa Piscu's instructions. She concentrated and masked the appearance of her eyes, momentarily human, before again returning to their regular dark shade. _Practice, it's a skill that will prove useful. You wouldn't want to scare the children._

From his zealous response, he didn't particularly care if she did. She reassured him, not sparing the time to form coherent thought. She needed to pack everything she needed for the rest of eternity, a pressure Asuka wasn't used to.

_Pack practically. I'll leave you to your task. We leave to meet the others in an hour._ He divulged the details of their first conquest. She asked solemnly. I'll know who shares my fate then? Allsa Piscu simply granted her reprieve and started the process to complete her transformation. The more energy filled her the less she cared to pack anything sentimental. In the end, she took one look around her and only took her deck.

* * *

><p>"A whole new world of possibilities will open up for them."<p>

Edo wished he hadn't been cocky and taken the shortcut across the back alley. He clutched his stomach which seeped blood. The color only reminded him of the buffoons idiotic departure.

_Life gets boring if its predictable doesn't it?_ The creature asked piteously, noticing he got lucky that his target fell into a bad situation. The corner of his vision fogged, and he nodded. The crazed knife man lay unconscious. He scowled vexed that he was taken by surprise by a drunken amateur.

His crazy visits are the pinnacle of any adventure**. **Edo admitted, and it bothered him to no end that he missed the stupid simpleton. The egoistical loud mouth added some variation to his schedule when he dropped by. Before his absence, Edo had not comprehended how mundane his daily life could be.

Edo found Judai's excuse that they were ready, annoying and a waste of an afternoon. If Judai bothered to think for once, they could have spent an action packed afternoon in the Himalayas instead of easing his guilt.

He dropped his line of thought. As far as he was concerned, his departing moments should be family time. All he could think of though was that he hoped Mizuchi and Saiou wouldn't cry too hard when the police informed them that they found his lifeless body.

_Let me bring you some excitement._ The creature insisted and a surge of energy propelled him forward into the city. Edo laughed unsure what made him giddy all of a sudden. He attributed the cold invading his insides to the rain coming down on him and the screams to his bloody wound.

* * *

><p>"I know they'll make the right choices. They don't need my guidance."<p>

Hours passed since the earthquake hit their hotel. Ryo laid there helpless, completely fixated on his brother's limp arm. After everything his brother did for him, Ryo couldn't bloody reach anyone to help him before he died. Alone, crumpled in a massive heap of rubble and minutes from passing out, the voice in his head started making a lot of sense.

Ryo was not one to ignore power. His body betrayed him, and he could really use something to keep him going. He did not bother to ask the creature what it wanted. He did not particularly care anymore what happened to him.

"Take me," He pleaded before slipping into unconsciousness.

* * *

><p>"I know they'll do great things on their own."<p>

"Above glory, you wished to protect those you love. I approach you face to face so we can establish early my expectations." Manjoume debated a moment before facing the possessed man.

"What do you want?" The man smiled with an air of arrogance.

"To make a deal, Asuka has died and been reborn as a dark signer. Do you wish to help her?" The dark clad duelist prompted him. Manjoume eyed him as if he were speaking in tongues.

"A Dark Signer?" Manjoume demanded the gaps in his knowledge be filled first. The ring of his cell phone went unanswered.

"Merely a title, the girl has been deemed worthy of embodying a god." He looked down at the thrown away announcement of his recent match. His nervousness this morning about the international match seemed trite.

"How can I help?" The man's smile increased to an abnormal level.

"Join her, become my host and partner." Closing his eyes, he nodded but declared quickly.

"Prove what you say is true, and we can make arrangements. Let's start by you guaranteeing you'll leave me self aware." Patronizing the proud man, the stranger bowed.

"But of course." Manjoume followed the stranger, trusting himself to handle any consequences his cooperation would provoke.

* * *

><p>"'I'll miss them, but the world won't end because I'm not there."<p>

Proudly, Asuka took her place before them all. She noted all the familiar faces as well as those who escaped the earthbound immortal's persecution. A few of the others appeared unsure of their existence and purpose yet. Uru's and Ccarayhua hosts proved supportive and politely nodded affirmation for her to start the meeting.

"Today, we begin planning the end of the world as we know it. If anyone still wants salsa and chips, please grab some now."

* * *

><p>"Come on, the portals opened. I'd like to go somewhere where I'm truly needed."<p> 


	2. Sit at our Table

Sit at our Table

"How did we even get possessed by death gods?"Jim complained. Pinching the bridge of his nose, the Australian threw his sack of belongings on the floor. He then tossed his hat meaning to throw it onto the nearby coat rack, and it instead landed squarely onto Asuka's head. Fiddling with her new robes, she smoothed the wrinkles and rose. The orange markings of the jet black uniform practically swaying and flapping like the bird she represented. Once she was close enough, she wrapped her arms around him.

The tired terrain expert's face expressed mixed feelings about the greeting. As Aslla Piscu's new confidant, she disregarded his reaction attributing it to the circumstance of their meeting. Anyway, her god failed to mention before the gathering how disorganized things would be. She still needed to finish roll call.

"Long story, so which one took you?" He leaned his head back and groaned. Put out, she frowned when she saw him not sit with the others and take a seat on the nearby arm chair.

_Separate but close, he may not cooperate. Don't trust him until he gets on the same page._ Piscu interjected casually through their link. It was nice when he didn't use the booming voice.

"Does it really matter?" He muttered sourly. She kneeled down and nodded, looking up at him. Studying her, he responded after he reclaimed his hat.

"Chacu Challhua, I fell of the cliff after extraneous circumstances. Snapped my neck, dead on impact, he made me a deal. Nothing I want to burden anyone with." She scribbled down Jim's name next to the corresponding immortal. Concerned, she stared at the missing members on the list. If the patterned continued, more of her past companions would be joining them. Unlike their short time in Duel Academia, they all were now scattered to the wind. She doubted the immortals trusted their hosts enough to divulge as much as Piscu had. She had teleported easily to their current generic four star hotel.

Finally, she put the sheet down. If she considered air times, there could be a longer wait than she could stand at the moment. Her body pumped too much energy for her to be patient about anything. Frankly, the silence grated her nerves. She did not want the atmosphere to have the lingering feeling of death for the rest of eternity. She needed to open the lines of communication and break the solemnity. _Start with uncooperative one._ Piscu advised, mistrust evident.

"Karen?" She asked curiously. She'd never seen him without her somewhere in the vicinity. Despite easing into a comfortable position, his face instantly pained. Momentarily, she regretted her attempt at conversing him and possibly coaxing him to the table.

"I forced her to stay behind. I didn't want her hurt because of something I might be obligated to do." Snatching his hat, she huffed placing her hands on her hips.

"Okay, we're in a hotel in the middle of the night, gathering to destroy the world. We exist and were going to for a long time whether you agreed to it or not." Jim nodded politely. The others stirred slightly, much to absorbed by their own predicament.

Maybe we can stand each other indefinitely. We were all friends before this. She told herself, over and over. She winced when she realized how much Judai's charismatic manner would help at the moment._ I'm sure you can improvise._ The humming bird encouraged her, unnaturally giddy. Asuka wondered how such a heinous creature could be so enthralled by romance, especially since she severely lacked any at the moment.

"On some level, everyone here still has something to live for. If you don't want to go insane, you hold on to the things that matter to you for as long as you can." Ccarayhua's vessel continued to stare at the window, unaffected. Cooly, she ignored Ryo's pressing problem of casual indifference and continued. Manjoume gave her a saucy look implying that she was all he needed. Rolling her eyes, she returned her attention to Jim.

"Were going to Australia in the morning, and your picking up Karen" She commanded and shoved his hat onto his face. Jim appeared on the verge of slapping her. Seconds ticked, he searched her eyes for some ulterior motive. Finally, he rested his own and chose to let it go.

"Yes mam." He conceded, on the verge of nap time. Forcefully, Asuka pulled him forward. He did not resist, and accessed the two acquaintances at the small table.

"Ryo and Manjoume." He identified them, not surprised. Manjoume graciously shook his hand. Ryo did not acknowledge him or move at all, staring out at the city below.

"Domino City where everything started." Ryo commented after a brief silence.

"I wanted to bring Sho here eventually, just the two of us. Instead I'm attending undead orientation and a freshman just came through the door." Ryo grumbled, the emerald tattoos curving down like streaming tears across his face. He dressed in the same robes as the others and symbols on them complemented his eyes. While Manjoume's color he associates too strongly with someone else, the markings on Uru's host constructed thin horizontal lines with vertical lines slanting to the left and right like flames. Jim can't help but comment.

"The dress code isn't mandatory is it?" Ryo stood and confronted Jim, looking him square in the eye.

"Has she given you the run down of what's going on yet?" Jim shook his head. The agonizing day was about to get longer. He always hated lectures, preferring hands on study. That wasn't an option available for god hosting, nor would he risk it.

Secretly, he hoped Johan would not walk through the door next. Johan was his responsibility as his guide through the jungle. The poor guy insisted on tracking down a few poachers, even after Judai inevitably canceled. Ambushed by a few of Cusillu's and Challhua's possessed lackeys, their separation resulted in his disastrous downfall, adding the northerner's death to his rotten day would heavily burden him.

"I don't want to explain this a hundred times. We will wait for the others to arrive. Allsa Picu has informed me that Cusillu will require some help." Jim flinched and made no effort to move. Manjoume also appeared hesitant but affirmed his cooperation. Ryo glared at nothing in particular. Going to the fridge, he took out ingredients for a sandwich.

"From the looks of it, its not that hard to find a host. Is this god slow or something?" Ryo implied nastily, spreading mayonnaise on the bread.

"Why are you bothering with eating? We're dead," Manjoume cut in, bluntly.

"It does seem a tad pointless." Jim admitted, locked into a staring contest with Asuka, neither particularly keen on each others recent behavior. Ryo smirked, adding a slice a cheese.

"I want to know if I can still taste it. Hold on to what you enjoy as long as you can right?" Her lips curled upward before she answered.

" Glad, I got through to someone. As for Cusillu, he wants someone who can see spirits. Johan likes the idea of living." Her tone implied Johan was at fault for the issue. Jim almost defended him. Manjoume tapped his fingers, deciding if it was worth arguing over. They both wished to avoid conflict, for she appeared the most callous in her rebirth.

"His spirits are keeping him guarded from Cusillu's advances." Jim's face contorted as he wondered what drove the others to accept their lot. If it was anything like what happened to him, he sent Johan a silent blessing. Taking a bite, Ryo let out a pleased demented chuckle. The lizard's cohort placed a hand on her shoulder.

"So, who's side are we taking on this one." She shrugged. Deciding to follow Ryo's example, she headed to the kitchen.

"He doesn't need to be so damn picky. Neither I nor my god particularly care who wins, I do, however, wish to speed things along so we'll reason with him." All three appeared unsettled. Already, she was much to close to her murderer. They decided as well as much too different from her old self. It was Manjoume who asked.

"You can communicate with Cusillu? I thought we only were able to hear the god that takes refuge within us." She decided on cereal, her old college favorite. She munched happily and commented coldly.

" We're on the same page. You all are treating yours like the enemy. Consider for a moment all they did and will do for you, open yourselves to them, and you'll find the situation much improved." Exchanging glances, the guys did not want to accept this as fact, Asuka would have harped on them as she often did when Judai picked up bad habits on the road, but the bell rang.

"Hello, everyone. Oh, are we taking attendance? I'm afraid I don't have an apple to give you" Fubuki bantered off handedly. Her face lit up, and she launched herself onto him. Looking up at him, she reacted oddly to his regular brown eyes.

"You don't look dead." She said in what the others felt constituted as eerie concern. Flashing his whites, he regarded her no differently than before, sharing the hug. Soon after, he hissed and narrowed his eyes as he replied.

"It may have killed me and made its way in, but I haven't given up yet. Which makes me ask, what deal did you strike with your devils? Manjoume I thought I taught you better than that." Fubuki reprimanded in genuine disappointment. The dark clad man harped excuses and reasons in response. The humming birds associate cared little for the senseless clucking and fixated more on the persistent trembling of her brother.

"Fubuki are you feeling well?" She guided him to the available recliner that Jim had rudely been pushed out of earlier. He pressed his palm to his forehead and nodded bravely. Much of his exuberant manner disappeared, energy spent resisting his savior.

"I'm just dead tired." He piped up, attempting to lighten the mood. His long time schoolmate burned holes through him with his gaze. Fubuki simply smiled too drained to do much else.

"If were going to spend an eternity with each other, you are not allowed to say any puns." Ryo demanded, eliminating the rest of the sandwich. Ryo opted to change the subject, figuring his friend could use something positive to focus on.

"So, care to divulge which god eliminated you? You get a complementary robe, color coded for your convenience."The entertainer perked up slightly. Furrowing his brows, he seemed puzzled as he examined the amethyst robes.

"Nice, a simple yet elegant flair, but none of you know how to sow, except..." He trailed off, grinning at his sister. She turned away embarrassed and not looking him in the eye.

"I'll put it on right now." Inaudible protests escaped his sister, not liking the attention anymore than she did when she lived. Ryo allowed himself to be amused by the sibling interaction and smirked. Manjoume similarly kept a close eye on the entertainment, digging into the cashews raided from the mini bar prior. The arrival of Fubuki infecting them with high spirits. Teasing his former classmate, Ryo suggested to the retreating figure.

"Does this mean you've joined the team?" Fubuki, for once, stepped away without a word. He returned twirling and flipping the hood up and down. Acknowledging him, she mumbled.

"You look nice." He placed his hands on his hips and retorted confidently.

"I always look nice. " Then, his expression transformed into a resolute mask. He addressed everyone, measuring their reactions.

"I may keep my possessor at arms length to carry on, but I will not fight along side you. I'm looking after my little sister, nothing more." His breath quickened, an old habit, as he struggled keep existing and be as distant from the entity as possible. Jim patted his shoulder to comfort him, and he amiably nodded in thanks.

"Can I get you anything?" Her expression softened as she offered, hating the shape he was in. He shook his head and added.

"Wiraqocha Rasca," Swiftly, she elegantly placed a few careful strokes down next to the condors name.

"Another bird," She couldn't keep the pleasure from her voice. Beads of blood slipped from his forehead, he wiped them away. The sight caused the younger sibling to stiffen. The others looked away, knowing the conflict would only get worse as Rasca grew more impatient. Avoiding her reverent fretting, he claimed smartly.

"We are related." She gave a small grunt of affirmation. Before she could continue playing nurse, a rapid serious of knocks alerted her to a new arrival. A click later, a tied and gagged Johan landed on her.

_Oh, did I mention Ccapac Apu has a history of making his host's insane?_ The bird asked, undaunted as he knew the new arrival well. She indicated her displeasure to him. The humming bird duly noted it. Getting up, she determined that on a practical level, it did prove useful.

"Thank you, Edo. Now, we need only wait for Cusillu to claim him." She declared gratefully, examining him. Unlike the others, with the exception of her reluctant brother, his face showed sparse markings, only two triangles under his eyes. Truthfully, the blond conjured the image of a psychotic clown. Erupting into a series of cackles, he dismissed her with excessive waving of his hand. The cackling made her skin crawl.

The blue irises darted every which way. When he settled his sights on Ryo, he stuck out his tongue. The other countered by throwing the butter knife. Asuka yanked the projectile away before any harm could be done. Unconcerned, his attention shifted to the doorway, persuading some poor girl to enter. Hopefully, this one wasn't dragged against her will. She really couldn't tell from the small fragments she could see of her. He used to be sane. She complained as she compared him to the suave arrogant gentleman he used to be.

_You thinks that's disturbing. His new favorite isn't much different from his last one. I think he has a fetish for silver hair._ The creature divulged resembling a hopeless gossip. She cringed and shut all thought on the beasts having such considerations for them. Forget the fact they were all murdered in cold blood, they were going to keep it professional.

"True I brought a gift, but I believe this is what your looking for." He revealed sweeping his arm to introduce the mysterious figure. Rei entered sporting curls as she'd previously expressed great enthusiasm for during Asuka's and her's last phone conversation. Hiding her face, same as the others, she wasn't thrilled by her prospects.

"I met his qualifications." Rei mentioned quietly. The ape choosing Rei perplexed Asuka. She knew of only three people who could see spirits. As motivated as Rei could be, she did not believe such a thing could be learned so easily. Then, the girl uncovered her face and loomed over the doorway in wait.

Asuka stepped back horrified as the sight before her sank in. The skin surrounding her eyes suffered third degree burns. The redness gave the impression that she cried previously. The recent wounds compromised of scarred tissue, more repaired than such recent torturous activity should be.

Already, a yellow glow spread healing the remaining injuries. As the glow faded, diagonal lines remained around her eyes emulating the cracks that previously marred her skin. What should have been Rei's brown irises were occluded sky blue ones.

"You're blind." Manjoume choked out. Ryo could almost believe her loss equal to his and muttered condolences. She slowly shifted her gaze to meet his. Her uncanny accuracy for his position made him apprehensive, forgetting for minute how much her hearing must have improved with the loss of her eyes and the supernatural aid of her simian.

"I see more than most of you. Besides, I have a helper monkey." Her tone shifted from serious to cheerful. There were low signs of muted amusement. Edo flashed his incisors in approval, temporally past his laughing fits.

"Oh, come on that one was just as bad as mine."Grouchy, Fubuki whined. Ryo hit the back of his head.

"She's blind. She's allowed to make bad jokes." Ryo defended her, and Fubuki crossed his arms in protest. Edo tightly shut his eyes in an effort to regain bits of his sanity. Jim coached him as they attempted to counter the gods fancy, naturally gifted to help in such stakes. Rei did not bother to engage anyone and focused on the forgotten matter on the floor.

"I take it were ignoring Johan's panicked cries?" Rei offered, switching her gaze to rest passively on Johan. Jim shifted uncomfortably, about to speak. Asserting command, Asuka sunk low to the ground and searched the sea foam eyes.

_Defiance and concern, how touching. You know already what I recommend._ Piscu mentioned needlessly. Seeking to avoid the undertone of ill intent, she made a comprise. She patted his head and walked away.

"We don't need him. Let him live." She announced in what she hoped Johan would take as a warning. Jim made a move to release him a little too fast. A hard look met him when Asuka yanked him backward. She traced the purple wave formations on his cheeks.

"I'll release him. Sit down." She whispered persuasively. Reluctantly, Jim sat down, taking the cashews offered to him by Ryo.

"Get in the way Johan, and I will personally kill you. The rest of you will do well to remember what we are, and as a reminder ..." She pulled out the butter knife confiscated earlier and proceeded to carve his face. A muffled cry escaped the crystal beast's guardian as the knife wasn't sharp enough to cut without pressing it into his skin hard. Jim pulled away from those that restrained him and shamefully allowed himself to watch.

The blonde then tore what appeared to be dental floss from the captives's hands and feet. When she removed the gag, she signaled for him to remain quiet placing a finger to his lips. Recoiling from her touch, he examined his arms and rubbed his red wrists that undeniably ached. Finally giving attention to the area he was avoiding, he touched the cut along his face lightly. He stood, and the looks around the room reminded him of a spider watching and waiting for the prey to tire. As one of the few of their group left alive, he determined it his responsibility to face this new threat. For now, the fight caught him off guard, and wisely, he made his way out the door.

" I will find away to fix this." Johan vowed sounding distressed and displaying a sliver of doubt in his normally serene face. A fork almost hit him, but the would be teacher caught it and shot a glare to Edo.

"He is still our friend. Please, let him make his dramatic exit in peace." She protested and shook her finger at them. Edo rewarded her with his signature cocky grin which insinuated a celebration of victory for the conquering of a concerned friend.

"I thought we were all evil incarnate and not allowed to show compassion . That's what I got from the whole face cut demonstration." Ryo interjected. She threw the fork to the ground, irritated that he called her out. The door slammed shut as the northerner left deeply troubled.

"I died eight hours ago. I'm going to end up contradicting myself a lot." She muttered. For the second time today, tension invaded the atmosphere. Accept, this time it ceased due to an unexpected gesture from her former confidant.

Ryo put his arm around her shoulder, and she grabbed his waist, bonding over the massacre of a former companions face. The others fidgeted uncomfortably. Rei held her hands to her heart, oddly touched by the display. Nothing left to argue over now that the main cause of trouble left the building, they slowly gravitated to the substandard table.

"Today, we begin planning the end of the world as we know it. If anyone still wants salsa and chips, please grab some now." She stated, and Ryo determined to induce some sort of food comma headed to the platter and applied generous portions. The mood rivaled that of any morgue.

"Okay in light of the heavy atmosphere from earlier, I propose we break the ice, state your god, how you died, and what you plan to do now. I'd like all of us on the same page."She ordered and they all groaned in protest. When no one came forward, she took charge and started the procession.

"Okay, I'll start. Aslla Piscu poisoned me. In fact, thanks to his suggestion. I'm going to adopt all the signers and raise them to absolutely adore us. Any questions? " She remarked, tartly. The new team of dark signers went rigid. Except for Fubuki who threw down the plate of nachos and salsa, flabbergasted.

"Asuka, if you want to commit suicide, there are easier and less convoluted ways." Edo scoffed, lifting up his palms and shaking his head. Taking in their reactions, she thanked the others gods silently for bothering to spin their own versions of the war with their bitter enemies. The time for confrontations with her permanent associates made itself clear. She wished to see them squirm, especially the clown. She slid forward on the table and continued, returning his condescending smirk.

"You will really get a thrill out this last thing. We're all aware of Judai's departure? " Silence permeated the air, Jim coughed breaking the awkward veil. Sliding off the table after Edo visage paled, she cupped her hands behind her back and walked around examining them like a cop judged a captured criminal.

"I thought so. I will bring him back to me. Either, he'll die on the cusp of Armageddon or join us, but we all know how he gets." The crunch of chips met her ears, disapproving muttering spread, and Rei contemplated her mental health.

"Sound like a bad first date," Ryo commented sarcastically. Reasonably agreeable until this point, Manjoume rocketed out of his seat. Piscu's host idly considered that he would be equally enraged by the color red as any bull. A shame really that's Uru's color. She mused, and Piscu expressed his approval as he was prone to do. In the back of her mind, she considered it conditioning. Unfortunately, her time to dwell on the situation was taken from her.

"Okay, the whole kid thing makes sense but inviting someone to sabotage our plans does not." Manjoume barked, previous vendettas getting the best of him. Yet, she couldn't blame him. The gods had ways to twist their minds.

"Trust me, I know what I'm doing. I have little over a century to plan. I only tell you so it doesn't catch you by surprise." She countered, fussing over her golden strands. His lips pursed in discontent. The mass up well of mangled spikes bobbed as he vibrated in rage. His hands curved and twitched violently, deliberating if they would make the casual move to her neck.

"I for one think it will be a nice reunion." The white suited man defended the idea, pounding his curled fist down onto his open palm.

"I'd don't blame her for wanting to see him again." Wringing her wrists, Rei uttered a similar agreement. Asuka shrugged, preferring not to comment. What was the use of lying to people she'd see everyday indefinitely?

"Maybe the world won't be doomed after all." Jim tipped his hat to her. She offered them insight on the matter, ignoring Jim's impertinence against Allsa Piscu's will. She tuned Piscu out, an ability that vexed the beast to no end.

"I'm well aware that I might fail. However, the advantage currently belongs to me." She slipped into a sort of daze imagining things that some assumed to be vile and others sweet. She fluctuated too much between the two for anyone to be sure.

"I think it's about time we moved on don't you?" Manjoume interrupted spitefully. Asuka hummed in affirmation.

"Cusillu burned me to ashes and reconstructed me slowly from my remains. I have no plans, and I'm willing to babysit for a small fee." Rei concluded in high spirits. Never in a hundred years, did the new graduate believe the other would have kids. She believed the tikes would be a welcomed distraction.

Asuka piteously encircled the girl, and she returned the embrace. Tears cascading down from both figures in an acceptance of their ends. The males shirked away from the girls comforting each other. They may have perished, but it wasn't anything to cry over. Their efforts would be better spent exorcizing the spirits.

"I took a short cut and got stabbed by a bum. Ccapac Apu offered to take me on an adventure. So far, he's keeping his end." Edo shrugged and cued for Ryo to share next.

"Earthquake took my brother from me. So, I allowed Ccarayhua to scavenge my remains. Fubuki, I'm sure you must have an intriguing story." He brushed off his situation and side stepped any questions. Fubuki wouldn't have it.

"Wiraqocha Rasca tried to give me a heart attack. I accepted only after he showed me that one of these things already had my sister." He reiterated really quickly.

"Ryo I'm sure we can scrape together some money for therapy to work through you issues." Fubuki pleaded to his closest buddy.

"No thanks. I'm not planning to burst into tears any time soon. I just plan to crush the world under my feet." Ryo decided casually and his colleague glowered.

"That's healthy." Fubuki commented curtly. Ryo snickered and replied.

"Yup." Ryo tagged Manjoume. Manjoume took deep breaths to calm down, reasoning that any issues with Judai wouldn't come for a while.

"Uru told me Asuka had become a dark signer so I let him take me so I could help her." Asuka's faced showed a touch of guilt as she glanced over to Fubuki and Manjoume. She wondered how badly she had ruined their chances of living.

"I agreed for the same reason." Jim contributed. Her stomach knotted and squirmed unpleasantly. Asuka ran to the bathroom to throw up. She doubted anything would come out. Logically, her death would result in no more sickness for her remains so she demanded answers from her god. Why do I feel sick? I'm dead. She questioned, bewildered.

_There's humanity in you, and your body still does not know how to react to the pressure. It's trying to eliminate the sickness you feel._ The humming bird confessed to a side effect of her new form.

Her eyes widened and she cupped her mouth and stopped herself from wailing. It's eliminating my feelings? She implored her guide, frightened at what she was turning into. The bird commanded some discipline from her. Portraying hate for her current state, Carly behaved similarly and destroyed their carefully laid plans. He would not tolerate remorse.

_Forget your pain, it does not matter. Control will come with time. Now, wrap up your show and tell, the immortals tire and wish to get on with our own discussion._ He commanded, and instantly, she closed herself off. Rising, she opened the door and entered the main living area.

She noticed the room quiet instantly. She straightened her posture and announced to the other dark signers the new agenda.

"I'm afraid we will be out of commission shortly. The immortals want to speak with each other in private." Various reactions started to form, then, a series of multicolored glows shone from their bodies, and each of them instantly lost consciousness. Eyes continued to shine the color of the respective god, the bodies themselves hung limply, hovering dangerously close to the ground. One by one, each gained their hosts functions and rose, regarding each other as warriors that have returned from a long arduous battle

"Well Aslla Piscu, I must admit finding a period of time where no adversary is present was brilliant." Challhua began, nervous to address the stronger immortal with criticism.

"But I for one find it idiotic to invite one to find us." The whale concluded and waited for the bird to spin some tale as it was prone to do. The others did not speak but all vouched their support for Chacu Challhua privately. Allsa Piscu maneuvered the girls form to an open seat, and prepared to address their concerns.

"Tell me, who can actually kill us?" Uru grit his teeth as he dealt with his own issues concerning the immortal in front of him. The being was too cocky and young to hold so much authority.

"The signers, I do not see why we need to go over this. I think five thousand years is more than enough time for all of us to be familiar with our struggle." The humming bird laughed flapping his hosts arms in a pleased manner.

"Exactly, this boy may have power, but it is not the power to kill us. Unlike the rest of you, I'm putting an effort to please my host and so far I've the best results. If she wants the boy, and if she's willing to manipulate the signers to do our bidding, I see no reason to stop her." He explained, glad when the others relented. The deal certainly appeared to have few draw backs.

"Yeah, it doesn't meant he can't do anything. If I remember correctly, last time your host wanted a boy, it ended badly for you." Ccapac Apu alleged, manipulating his host face to show unearthly glee.

"It ended badly for all of us. The point of this go round is to have the time to form an solid allegiance instead of whipping together revenge lusting fools." He defended as his mood soured by Ccapac Apu implications. This girl, at least, was sensible. She even acknowledged the boy may not live, something he had to lie to Carly about.

"Besides, wasn't it Yusei who finished us off and who's responsibility was that? Right, you could have killed him, but you and your host let him live." The playful attitude disappeared and Ccapac Apu lunged, ready to pummel Allsa Piscu for the accusation . Ccarayhua held the giant back, directing everyone's attention to a larger concern than squabbling over past failure.

"Problems have already arisen. You'd do well to rethink your strategy." Ccarayhua stated pointing to Wiraqocha Rasca who appeared to be struggling to stay conscious.

"Wiraqocha Rasca you look half dead over there." Uru shouted, an action which would have normally resulted in the spider being pinned to the ground. The condor muttered unintelligibly, and the humming bird rocked his chair some before continuing his little tirade.

"I noticed the tear in the time line. I led us out. I figured out Zone was dead and out of our way. I showed you a way to keep betrayal from happening yet your just not willing to try are you?" He accused waving his hosts appendages.

"I'm afraid that we all can't be as talkative as you." Ccarayhua crossed his borrowed limbs and defended them all from the prideful bird. The bird smirked and continued.

"Keep at it, it's time for a revolutionary change. Revenge led us nowhere, now I'll show you how to conquer with love. We will break the cycle and this time prove victorious and kill the crimson dragon." Allsa Piscu concluded, swaying his host's supple arms beautifully. Each of the other immortals found the idea slightly repulsive, but the group regained faith at the mention of their loathed adversary eliminated from existence.

"So, were agreed then. You'll let my silly host play with her toy and precious children?" He questioned, wanting the group united despite their respective natures.

"Fine but I doubt your reign will last long." Uru the most disgruntled of the death gods relented. The humming bird nodded amused by the disgruntled past leader.

"Okay, I suppose we've covered everything." He disclosed as the others concurred, beginning to retreat from their possessions. Seamlessly, the gods released their hold. The group woke disoriented and a few of them stumbling to the floor._ Congratulations, they'll cooperate._ Her guide notified her on the result of the conference. Asuka smiled happily at the good news.

"Our first meeting is adjourned. I took the liberty of booking several adjacent rooms. Oh, and thanks to Jim where making a brief trip to Australia tomorrow. Don't worry I will teach you all how to teleport." She assured them as she ushered them to their respective rooms, slightly dismayed at their partners sudden mood to chat. As they all shut their doors unanimously, she smiled, glad to have them all together again.

_So begins your future. What do you think?_ Piscu inquired in an attempt to gauge his success in ensuring her loyalty. Asuka took a look out the city before replying. I want a castle right around where old momentum will be. She responded, making a square with her fingers around said area.

The bird chuckled and responded. _I really did not mean real estate_.


	3. Sacrifice

Sacrifice

Three figures emerged from the automatic doors, very much out of place in their free flowing robes. The busy lab assistants paid them no mind. A particularly preoccupied individual attempted to go straight through the figure on the right. She quickly side stepped the man although his thin frames caught on her golden trim. The glasses clattered on the ground. Perplexed, he picked them up and stared at the three figures, seeing only the plain metallic wall. He attributed the sudden jerk he felt to coincidence and continued. The previous delays in Momentum's research had them scrambling to make progress now that the project had inexplicably been reopened. No need to bother with such inconsequential matters.

"Nice one, Rei," Manjoume teased. She gave him an uneasy smile, hiding the splitting headache the panicked spirits in the vicinity were inflicting upon her. The damn things remembered the last time. So, they made it a point to bother her and insist she keep the event from happening.

I am not a hero. I was afraid and choose something horrible. She reminded herself, ignoring them.

_How typical, demanding something you cannot give, soon, you will command them all._ Cusillu promised, completely loathing his rebellious kind. Unfortunately, Cusillu didn't know her near as well as Piscu knew Asuka. Rei cared not for power.

With all that I have forsaken, it is still all about what the damn ape wants. She grumbled. The god didn't correct her.

At least he is honest, she decided. Its what she liked about him. He spoke little, but he told her exactly what she needed to do.

It's not like he doesn't help me. She admitted as the group made their way to Momentum's core. The god would grant her small things. She doubted that she could do half the things she did now in her current condition had she been alive.

More importantly, he made no qualms about her skirting around with a particular friend of hers. He even hid her secret from the others gods. A small favor she was especially grateful for since its reveal would lead the gods to ground her into dust.

Those spirits wouldn't come to me if it wasn't for Johan. She thought, her body aching as it did when she suffered any sort of morality. Johan confused her. The man's midnight company gave her a sort of tingle that a dead woman shouldn't be able to feel.

I feel alive when I'm with you. She admitted wistfully to the absent figure. Of course, like many of Rei's exploits, there was something wrong with who she choose. Ryo had been too old for her, Manjoume too unwilling, and Judai way too naive. Well, before the Dark World incident, she conceded. The changes had been hard to miss. Afterwards, he began to politely ignore Rei, although that never stopped the hypocrite from eating the snacks she made.

This time, Johan was too good. Sure, he put up with her, but she planned to bring the world into hell which directly conflicted with his interests considering he kind of liked the world the way it was. Rei's awareness of this bothered her. Playing with her, consoling her, healing her even, a dead body, it made no sense.

Why do you come to me? I'm not special. She asked herself, not expecting her mind to formulate any sort of answer.

I just want to help you. The empty echo of his voice replied, simple and earnest as always.

Please don't. She begged the absent specter. For decades, he remained as unaged as she, unwillingly to age gracefully and stop making a general nuisance of himself. She imagined this happened to be one of the many perks of being the super special rainbow guy forever protected by the crystal beasts. He could drop dead anytime he wanted without making stupid deals with callous devils.

Why did I tell him not to come? She scolded herself, a bit frantic that the city would be demolished again. She did not want him anywhere near the place. She told him as much, but she knew him.

If he . . . She bit her lip, contemplating a new mess of possibilities. Rei was unable to continue a particularly destructive train of thought thanks to Asuka shaking her out of inner mind bubble.

"Johan is in the building. He's up to something. Rei stop whatever he's planning." Her usually passive face showed a hint of a frown, and her slender brows came down like a water fall. Rei could translate well enough. Get him out of here.

With Asuka's blessing, she ran the opposite direction, shoving several scientists out of the way in her haste. Rei cursed silently, knowing the others would not hesitate to reverse Momentum regardless of whether or not Johan was in the building. He would die if she couldn't drag him out of the lab.

He didn't listen. The idiot is going to blow himself up without my permission. I'll kill him before I let that happen. She cried, unwilling to quell her impulsive murderous tendencies when overcome by such palatable emotion. What a fool I was to trust him so completely, I should have told him nothing. Rei didn't consider his purpose here. And yet, despite her initial murderous rage, all that mattered was she needed him alive. An increasingly desperate panic consumed her, the stupid halls all looked the same, and she was having trouble uncovering Johan's aura. For once, she felt truly blind.

His aura is light. If you look deep inside it, you'll see a rainbow. Honey, he likes honey and strawberries. She rambled, failing to spot anything remotely resembling Johan's aura.

Everything's so bland here. It can't be this hard to spot a rainbow. She yelled in frustration as she scrambled to locate him. In a rare moment of thoughtfulness, Cusillu heard her pitiful cries and transported her straight into the path of her target.

_Do what you will._ The simian stated, unconcerned by her detour. With his power, she could easily deflect the coming destruction. If she lost her reason to live, however, she would be of no use to him. The god did not have the luxury of being able to abandon its vessel as the Crimson dragon could. They were connected, and like it or not, this boy held value to her. The ape would be out of the way in the meanwhile.

She held her hand to her heart, glad feel him near. Her senses faintly outlined Johan crouched over a man who clearly would soon bleed to death. She smelled it all the way from the other end of the hall way. That guy, always needs to help everyone, she grinned, quickly making her way over to him. Her smile faded as Rei realized why Johan had invested his time in helping this particular man. Both their arms where glowing in that threatening crimson aura, the dragon head and the claw. Her heart sank. He used her. He was her enemy all along.

The man muttered something to Johan, handing over four silver lined cards. He then clutched Johan's shoulder, speaking with an urgency that wasn't there before. Rei didn't care to pay attention. She understood what the man wanted Johan to do well enough.

At least we have the same goal at the moment, she decided. She would knock Johan unconscious, gag him, and beat the stupid bloody dragon out of him until he understood he was hers and not the Crimson Dragon's.

_Its recent, or I would have warned you._ Cusillu said solemnly, sensing his hosts distress. If the current revelations weren't enough to make her panic, the next words out of her god's mouth were.

Hurry, both Aslla Picu's and Uru chosen are heading this way. The simian finished, again making himself scarce. She didn't take any more time to ponder the situation. The time to act was now. Rei smashed Johan across the opposite wall, ironically just as he planned to depart. She yanked the cards out of his hands, securing them while still keeping them as far away from her life source as possible. Rei punched him across the jaw, taking advantage of her rekindled fury. Unfortunately, Johan had managed to keep hold of one of the offending cards and instinctively transported said card out of her reach. She huffed. The dragon was probably on its way to one of Asuka's dear children or their biological parents as the case may be. The thing would be easy enough to snatch later from such unsuspecting hands.

She dragged him away quickly, wishing to limit the other man's influence on her dear Johan. She wanted answers from him, not his damn accomplice.

* * *

><p>"Asuka, there's something I need to talk to you about now that we are alone." Manjoume insisted, glad for the opportunity. He expected the rather biting temper she accrued over the years to show its fury considering they were in a middle of a rather crucial juncture. Fortunately, holding her new child alleviated Asuka's mood substantially, she cooed at the pudgy bundle in her arms before answering.<p>

"Are you asking to be the father?" She replied passively. The little baby in her arms remained remarkably quiet since they first unburdened the passing mother. Asuka stared into the baby's tranquil sapphire gaze. She held her pinky in front of him hoping for any sort of response. He stared at it briefly with a puzzled look before gripping it. She encouraged him softly, stroking his plain black spiky hair. Manjoume tried his best to tune it out. It would make what he had to say even harder. Most of all, he didn't want to accept that this was the happiest he'd seen her in a while.

Asuka frowned as she remembered the rather brutal scene that the little one had witnessed minutes before. She hoped his young mind wouldn't develop a trauma from the spectacle. Their presence had changed nothing. Rudger had kept his insane desire to dispose of his former friends for the interruption of the project and security remained as trigger happy as before, shooting the baby's mama shortly after she took him from the crib. Asuka, for one, was glad she wouldn't have to wrestle the boy from his pleading mother. Still, the baby's lack of response after the incident worried her. He hadn't uttered a sound, not even when he was first removed from his mothers surprisingly firm grip.

_The little boy must have sensed what happened somehow_. Asuka decided as the little crab head had no qualms about being transported out of the vicinity.

Meanwhile, Manjoume stopped in his tracks, at a loss for words at the question. Frankly, he wanted to say yes. Despite the current convoluted means, he often wished to have a family with her. Today, she asked him. A chance that would not come again. He shook his head. At the end of the day, what mattered was their welfare. He had developed a very accurate picture of what exactly each death god planned for the bundles of joy heading their way. Most involved very unpleasant results shortly after their arrival. Uru kept trying to urge him into a similar line of thinking, but what made him avoid falling into that mindset was the goddess before him. He understood exactly what drove her, and if that where taken away, he did not know if there would be any Asuka left in the flesh in front of him.

"That's not what I wanted to ask." He answered, avoiding the subject. Not exactly a no, he assured himself. For a moment, she appeared stupefied, shocked by his quick dismissal. Subconsciously, she held the small life closer. He had put her on edge by going against her expectations. The dark clad figure put an arm around her shoulder anyway and went through with giving her a reality check.

"Do you think you can take care of this baby?" He responded promptly. She narrowed her eyes and in Manjoume's mind stood much taller. She walked slowly down their planned path. All sorts of workers passed her, unaware of the nearby shooting. They had not bothered to unleash chaos yet. The baby was much too important to risk during the explosion. So, they indulged in a brief detour.

"Of course, I've spent decades waiting for this moment. Are you telling me I"m not mature enough to handle the responsibility?" She scoffed, headstrong as always. The baby laughed in agreement. She lit up again at the sound, glancing at Thunder, with an air of self assurance. Like the stupid laugh was a real miracle, Manjoume thought sarcastically. Manjoume held his temper. Already, he didn't like that kid.

"That's not the problem, its everyone else. Ryo made a sly remark about drowning your kids in the bathtub, kinda completely under his god's influence on that one. Edo is insane half the time from his possession, no telling what could go wrong there. Rei and Jim are reasonable now, but the point is you can't protect them all the time." Manjoume said, stopping before he started to ramble on lost all credibility. He courteously omitted what the spider had instructed him to do. He didn't plan to go through with any of it anyway.

"Oh," She faltered. They had promised to cooperate and give her plan a chance, but it seemed, perhaps, only the humming bird might be worthy of her trust. The others were prepared to bury her children in tiny coffins before she even saw them. She looked down at the wrapped figure, sleeping peacefully in her arms and closed her eyes and pushing the argument from her mind. She had a reactor to blow up and a baby to deliver to safety. There would be time to talk about the future later.

_They wouldn't dare kill the vessels before we seal the marks onto them permanently. The dragon would simply escape._ Piscu assured her. The comment didn't really ease her nerves any. Instead, she focused on eliminating said nerves herself. Over the years, the bird had coached her on burying emotions, an ability which came in handy today. The doubt washed away, at least temporarily.

"I'll keep what you told me in mind," She said cooly. He sighed in relief as if talking to her had been some huge ordeal. She was ready to finish what they started, but first, she wanted to make one thing clear, especially concerning the Spider immortal. He may not have mentioned his own qualms about the children, but if he warned her, the suggestions Uru implanted in his mind must have been deplorable.

"One day, my children will ask who their father is." She stated plainly. Manjoume staggered as he had expected the subject to drop after he had brushed her off. He composed himself and waited, a thin veil of hope visible in his posture and expression. You can burn away the boy's life until he serves an Incan deity, but you can't take the lover out of the boy.

"Out of all the male dark signers, I trust you the most," She admitted, rocking Yusei who opened his eyes and started to fuss.

The boy doesn't like you. Uru teased, displeased that his partner was a snitch. He might as well start breeding dislike between them. The problem with strong servants was that they were difficult to motivate, best to add incentive early. Manjoume grumbled slightly but didn't comment. Reassuring the baby left her unable to look as intimidating as she wanted, but she managed an aloof stance before laying some poisonous words on him.

"However, as far as I'm concerned, they don't have one. One day, Jim will try to kill me to spare the world its destruction." She said flatly. The baby started to whimper after hearing the words kill. She muttered some sort of tune that she heard Judai play once, and it seemed to keep the well from bursting. Manjoume flinched, dreading the end of her speech. No speech that started with the word kill ended well.

"Ryo might betray me by destroying my new family if only because he longs for his own. I wouldn't blame him, not like I would if Jim did me in." She spit out, anger building, and the boy seemed to sense the hostility and shift uneasily

"In the end, I would see it coming. Jim needs the idea of salvation to keep him going. Ryo gave up his morality when his brother died. How fair was it that he survived and his brother died after all?" She summed up sadly. Manjoume hadn't realized just how much Asuka considered death by their hands a possibility. A small bit of bile made it out of his mouth, he knew he would hate the end of the longest most poignant rejection ever.

"But with you, I don't feel safe. Your god wants to be in charge. Right now, you care for me but how long until that turns to hate? I couldn't take that sort of betrayal, not with my family involved. You will never be their father." She enunciated curtly, and his face stung as if she had slapped him. Did she really believe it was only a matter of time until he betrayed her? Still, judging by the way she kept looking down at the baby every few minutes, Manjoume had done enough, if nothing else, those signer kids might be a little safer because of his input. It didn't take long for her to regain her usual confidence and continue forward. Unsure of where that left him as far as their current objective went, he hesitated but followed her anyway, forever lasts a long while after all.

* * *

><p>"What the hell?" Rei screeched into Johan's ear. He winced unable to really remove himself from her grip. The man felt dizzy from the previous blows, and she carried him more like cargo than a human being at the moment. Considering what she previously saw, he thought himself lucky that the hovering disaster of Zero Reverse prevented her from unleashing her full fury.<p>

"I told you I've been looking for a way to reverse what the Immortals did." Johan said, defending his actions, truly thinking himself correct. Rei didn't want to hear any more lies.

"By allying yourself with the thing that is trying to kill us," She hissed, leaning enough to the right of the spacious hallway to have him hit his head repeatedly on the wall. Ow. She kept him from explaining further, slightly more interested in scolding him at the moment than hearing excuses. Johan sighed knowing he would be met with resistance.

"As far as I know, the dragon just wants to keep balance in this world. Once the immortals are sealed, it can . . .," Johan said just as the alarm rang. He winced, knowing the likelihood of reaching her in the new few seconds was almost impossible. Any trust Rei had for him had been broken when she sensed the signer mark on his arm. Dammit, he was going to try anyway. His friends souls were on the line.

* * *

><p>"I think we barely missed her," Asuka sighed in disappointment. Turning to the semi conscious man, she glanced at Manjoume before making a decision.<p>

"Go on ahead, I need to talk to him." She said suddenly as if following a whim. Manjoume looked at her incredulously.

"This is Mr. Fudo. I'd like a few words before, you know, we blow him up." She remarked dismissively. The man perked up at the words, blow up and raised his head, suddenly very aware that a dark signer was holding his child.

Manjoume reluctantly let them be and headed to momentum's core. She glared at Jun , making it frightfully clear that he should not start the reaction till he was damn sure she and the baby where out of the building. Manjoume sighed, knowing he needed the time to take care of Rudger who had descended into madness due to the timeline melding together. The man still had some echo of Uru's past possession or so the spider had informed him casually. Manjoume would just have to put him out of his misery.

Mr Fudo coughed, severely damaged in his attempt to defy Momentum's revival. Now he feared that it came too late, and his family would suffer. The male signer left on the girl's command, and he hoped to find the strength to pry his boy out of the woman's hands. She knelt down to meet him, and Yusei immediately gurgled some foreign greeting. Sometimes, Mr Fudo wished he'd invested more time working on that baby translator. He really doubted that anyone would have turned against him for that, and he'd know what his boy's last words to him might of been if they meant anything at all.

"What did you do to Lily?" He demanded with as much rage as he could muster. The raggity bits of his coat weren't helping stabilize him. He'd lost too much blood. The woman frowned, rocking Yusei preemptively.

"Rudger ordered both of you dead. I found him being held by her lifeless corpse." She explained with more detail than was warranted. She did take care to avoid using the word kill this time to keep Yusei from tearing up. The words dead, lifeless, and corpse didn't appear to register any negative connotations yet. He frowned, knowing Rudger ill for quite sometime. He wanted to blame her, but there was a strong possibility one of his closest friends had indeed doomed them.

"Who are you?" He asked, he had assumed that Rudger hadn't had the time gather anyone else yet, and both victims looked quite young. There was a chance the girl might still have enough compassion in her to at least take his little one to someone he trusted, which, unfortunately, now only consisted of Goodwin.

"The woman whose taking care of your baby," She retorted gleefully. She smiled in triumph when a new found terror met the man's face. His hands shook, and his left arm glowed dully of the dragon's mark. The alarm sounded, and he knew that could only mean his worst predictions might come true in the next few seconds. The humming bird's vessel hummed pleasantly although he could see her tense slightly and hold his boy tighter. She closed her eyes momentarily before leaning closer to him.

"I'm giving you a choice," She informed him. Mr. Fudo found it hard to concentrate with the siren's warning urging him to escape when he honestly couldn't. He nodded, stroking his little star, so close, yet out of his reach.

"He can die with you," She suggested, handing him the child, and the siren sounded much too loud, now that he held him. Yusei squeaked in contentment, and Mr. Fudo felt dizzy and agitated. He wouldn't go through with this. He mumbled sweet nothings to Yusei whose over enthusiasm knew no bounds. Mr Fudo tried to think of the last time he had time to hold him. He regretted that, in total, the times he had where few and far between.

"Or you can give him to me," She said, her outstretched hands clearly indicating she considered herself the obvious choice. He looked down at his boy who smiled, unaware that his father was seriously considering handing him over to a sworn enemy. The dragon head ever present since his youth disappeared from his arm and with that, he figured that he had no options left, not if he wanted his boy alive. It didn't matter what she was, if it meant he might live. He handed him over quickly, an arrangement that caught Yusei by surprise. The boy whimpered, no longer comfortable in the strangers arms. She brightened, naturally easing the boy's doubts. Mr. Fudo smiled in spite of himself, reassured that he made a good choice, considering his four other options were either now insane, dealing with the insane, dead, or had been dragged away by another dark signer.

"He'll be loved. Don't you worry." She promised, oddly relaxed now that she technically had permission to take him. She didn't plan to stick around and keep the scientist company however. There was no telling if Manjoume might spring the lever too soon.

"Don't get him killed." He eked out, his breathing shallow. Even her motherly actions couldn't completely undo his mistrust, he wanted an affirmation. She nodded, transporting out of the area. Yusei, without warning, began to wail as he traveled further and further away from his father. The little one had learned quickly that it was the fastest way to be returned to him when his father decided it was time for work again. His mother would often do just that and most of the time he would hold him a little longer, just enough to put Yusei to sleep. This time, however, his new guardian knew better than to turn back.

The crying stirred her buried emotions, and her previous doubts began to resurface. Asuka understood why the signer might be concerned that she, a dark signer, would get his child killed, and although she knew this would not happen by her hands, Mr Fudo's last words had reminded her of the others murderous intentions and what Thunder said began to eat at her.

_His opinion means nothing. The boy is in our hands. That's all that matters right now._ The humming bird interjected, edgy since Uru's host first alerted her to the situation. She nodded unsure of that herself.

Jim waited outside the buildings steps. His job was simple but pivotal. Take the baby, find the two toddlers and take them somewhere safe until everyone returned. If the dragon's track record held, they expected the signers to remain unscathed but that didn't mean Asuka planned to take any chances. She suddenly appeared before him. Jim cracked a toothy grin. His feelings for the girl in front of him might fluctuate from hate to love, but it was a relief to see both she and the baby untouched. The soon to be orphan screeched horribly, and while Jim couldn't help but admire the set of lungs on the little guy, his job wasn't looking as easy as he thought it would be. Asuka seemed to be taking the complaints personally, rocking and shushing as she handed him over to Jim. He took the kid, and his undisguised appearance appeared to increase the volume of Yusei's pleas.

"Don't worry. He'll be in good hands while I get the other two. I'll take him to Ryo, might give him a chance to bond with someone new. I know you probably don't want him anywhere near this area when the blast hits." Jim said conversationally, trying to ease the tension he felt emanating from Asuka's figure. She did an immediate one eighty, looking more high strung than before.

"No, not Ryo, take him to Fubuki." She insisted. He raised an eyebrow curiously.

"You sure? He can barely keep standing these days." He argued reasonably. Asuka clenched and unclenched her fists nervously. She didn't want to discuss what Manjoume had said with her current time restraints.

"Yeah, I trust him." She emphasized, before transporting again. Jim followed suit if only because the sirens told him now wasn't the best time to demand more answers. They had bought a cradle a while ago. He sourly remembered the term cradle robber come up. He wanted such things to occur under less morbid circumstances, but it was the closest his day came to normal these days. Activities involving the new kids settling in were the only times everyone had a sort of joy to their demeanor. Even Fubuki who rarely spoke, except during brief discussions with Asuka, liked the idea of children hanging around.

"Time to meet your uncle, little guy," Jim told the little tike who seemed keen on ignoring anything the strange man had to say while wailing uncontrollably. The room was dark and pallid, very much against the owner's usual tastes. He just didn't have much to feel happy about anymore. Luckily for him, Jim was coming in with a new precious face. The sight of the babe seemed to spur him into standing. Jim was afraid Fubuki might just fall over thanks to his over exuberance. He signaled Jim to hand over the rioting infant. Jim figured he could catch them both if he needed to, and Yusei exchanged hands for the fourth time that day. Much to Jim's annoyance, Fubuki's excellent people skills served him well, despite their disuse. The baby stopped crying in a matter of minutes.

* * *

><p>Asuka fluttered down gracefully to the scene below, landing in between the fallen Rudger and his equally flattened brother, Goodwin. She looked up at the man responsible who heaved unsteadily from his earlier brawl. The two brothers were not easy to take down, and had Uru not backed him but his old predecessor, Manjoume doubted he would have succeeded.<p>

The spider mark glowed stronger although both of the lab assistants where very much alive. Asuka gave him a pat on the back for his effort, but now came the dirty part of the mission.

"You do realize we have to kill them. We can't risk uncle Goodwin or Dark Signer Rudger surviving." She declared promptly. Manjoume nodded, not calling her on the clearly selfish call as far as Goodwin went. Both appeared horrified, the only difference stemmed from Rudger connecting that this karmic punishment had to do with the rapidly diminishing purple glow on his arm.

"Please, I didn't ask for this. Let us go. Whatever your planning, we won't get in the way." Rudger begged and the more articulate of the two could only nod in agreement, very worried that his other dear colleague might be dead. Manjoume hesitated realizing that the timeline had already changed at least twice. Mr. Fudo was not a signer before the shift which Jun assumed had to do with the dragon's awareness of their presence. Rudger hadn't received its mark this time. There was no guarantee that they would be enemies if they survived the blast.

Asuka rolled her eyes and bent down to finish the job. Jun would spare two previous power houses over a hunch? She wondered, in disbelief. Well, it wouldn't be the first time she made a tough call. Still, her hands couldn't quite snap Rudger's neck yet. Asuka paused, as the reality of the situation hit her. This would be the first time she actually killed someone. She wouldn't come back from that. Her godly winged beast cut in and added his perspective on her moral dilemma. _It won't be the last._ She recoiled at the response. Asuka was worried about her companions killing her kids but would she truly be any different if Aslla Piscu changed his mind?

Manjoume saw her inner turmoil and made a decision. He found the task easier now that it was for a noble cause. He had beaten them before, and his supernatural stamina showed its worth now. Rudger made a move to lunge, and in two steps, he snapped both their necks. Goodwin managed a decent enraged kick when his brother went down, but despite being winded, the task was no harder with Goodwin.

Asuka found herself speechless for the first time since their rebirth. Manjoume limped to the lever, and she swiped his hand away.

"This is my burden," She told him. You've done enough, Jun roughly translated. He shook his head. She made her feelings clear. Now, it was his turn.

"I will take all your burdens, Asuka. I'll keep your life safe and free of blood. Is the kid alright?" He ended casually. He screwed up, many times, by laying it on too thick, and his dramatic speech would be severely handicapped if he accidentally killed the child by igniting the contraption too soon.

"Fine, with uncle Fubuki," She replied, wiping away stray tears. He had agreed to be the monster for her. Manjoume yanked the lever, and a high pitched humming sound met them as they were pushed back by the destructive force. Instinctively, they held each other as their fortified bodies were tested. Their clothes began to tear and that was when Manjoume decided it best to transport. The resounding blindness from the array of colors pressing against him caused him significant discomfort, and he blinked profusely trying to dispel the bright light from his eye sockets. Asuka had remembered to close her eyes, but she limped forward still recovering from the blasts excessive force. When his sight finally returned to him, he whistled. This entire half of New Domino was unrecognizable. Manjoume said the first thing that came to his mind.

" I didn't realize it would only take a few seconds for this to happen." Manjoume said, staring at the wreckage with an empty sort of appreciation.

"Where are you going?" He asked, in awe that she headed back to the disaster areas center. She smirked slightly as she held her hand to her forehead to get a better view.

"To my new castle," She replied happily, heading to Momentum's active core. He returned the smirk, but it seemed that this would weigh on him much longer than it would for her. He followed again because for him, this was the only path he wished to follow.

* * *

><p>"No, you can't," Rei demanded, tears streaming down her face. He couldn't be sure whether it reflected the frenzy signifying everything about to fall apart or his own secret recently revealed.<p>

"Help," Johan shouted above the sirens. A nervous tingling descended on him. Is this how it feels? Knowing your going to die? Johan reflected briefly before regaining his focus. He needed the message to get through. You can live, Rei. Please, hear me. We're not exactly out having tea right now. There's no time. Johan pleaded silently.

"Lies," She responded, glowing yellow as she attempted to transport before the blast hit Johan. Her last use of this power had drained her. She transported them too slowly. The blast hit them upon their exit. Rei prayed he made it unscathed.

"The signers and the dragons" Johan mumbled to her. He could sense himself slipping, almost like he was falling off the bed. Rei's eyes were more fixated on the giant piece of shrapnel jutting out of his belly than his words.

"Traitor!" She yelled in anger and grief. He shouldn't have come. She declared again, loathing his determination to change them. Wasn't I enough this way? She wondered, but Johan hadn't quite passed yet.

"can," He coughed out, almost losing touch but holding her hand led to some relief somehow. He felt better, enough to speak even. She could talk sense to Asuka and the others certainly.

"Rever-" The crystal guardian began, before she rudely plunged her tongue down his throat. He pushed her off, barely. He felt his new found strength fade again. He knew damn well what would happen if he let himself enjoy that. No, he didn't have enough time to sway her, but perhaps, there was another way.

"Rei, I want you to have this," Johan said, offering her his cherished deck which glowed profusely as he held it in front of her. Her eyes widened in surprise and fear. No living man hands over his deck.

"Believe Rei. You don't have to live like this. They can save you." He beseeched her. He smiled at her one last time, accepting his departure. The years stretched for Johan because of magic so naturally the magic began to take him away. Colored hues surrounded him as his crystal beasts prepared to take him on one final journey. Rei didn't have the same complacency about the matter. She clutched both his hands attempting to cage him in his earthly body as she was forced into.

"No, I can save you. Let me." She begged desperately. She saw him fade as he rejected the transformation. Unlike what was done to Fubuki, she couldn't particularly name anything to threaten him into staying. Everything he held dear was literally in the palm of her hands. He trusted her with it. She wished she deserve them. Finally, he vanished from sight just like a real rainbow. Cusillu stirred, unhappy with the incessant glow of the beasts. Actually, the big ape had a lot to answer for, and she didn't appreciate the brute pestering her precious new companions.

"Why didn't you just shield us before the blast hit?" She asked evenly. How could such simple a thing be forgotten so easily? The idea that he choose not to act, unnerved her, because then, Cusillu let him die.

_We Immortals recover life. We do not protect it that is not our jurisdiction. The wretched dragon decides that._ The beast explained in apparent disgust.

Rei nodded, placated enough to no longer blame the spirit. The proud woman recognized the empty feeling lurking in her hollow shell. She felt nothing and therefore was truly dead. The urgency gone, the girl stayed where Johan previously disappeared for a few minutes. Finally, after she truly registered that there was nothing to wait around for, she stood and laughed bitterly at the rainbow over the horizon.

She couldn't stop herself from drowning in tears when the rainbow glow around Johan's cards faded with the mystical rainbow ahead. She heard nothing from them. They didn't want her. They wouldn't help her. She sank to the ground in despair and laid there with no hope left. The beasts had chosen to follow their one true guardian.


	4. Recovery

Recovery

"Hello, Rei, you look like you've been through hell," Asuka greeted warmly. Rei nodded and kept her attention far away from the rest of the dark signer's ominous stares. She barely registered much around her, except that they were all gathered, even Fubuki. He held one of the golden children responsible for the whole affair. Yusei slept peacefully, and Rei sighed. The little one's aura shone brightly compared to Fubuki's dimming one. Rei strongly desired complete darkness. She didn't want anything to shine ever again. It would only remind her of what she lost. She braced herself for what she would deal with. Johan's death would be mourned, but there was still the fact that she let one of the signer's dragons go free.

"He's dead." She managed to disclose, dead panned. It felt wrong to say it. She noted mutely. Asuka looked solemnly down for a moment, before harboring a wicked grin.

"Oh, but you brought goodies." She noticed, jumping down from Momentum's reactor. Rei nodded again, fishing the three dragons from her pocket. She resisted the urge to crumple them. They took everything away from me. She decided icily. Asuka grabbed the silvery treasures and examined them. She tensed as she counted three and not four. Her eyes widened, and she glared at Rei.

"Now you are aware why I don't want these cards to make their way to the signers right?" She remarked, exasperated. Rei nodded compliantly. Still, what reason did she have to complain? Asuka still had a chance to be happy. Besides, what where the odds that one of the kids would listen to a card above a person? Rei slumped when she comprehended the situation, knowing quite well of a boy who did choose spirits over people. Asuka made herself relax as she realized which card was missing.

"Ancient Fairy Dragon has a habit of going missing doesn't it? It looks like we have a bit of time. Ruka's not born yet." Asuka observed keenly. She caught something else that Rei had prayed she wouldn't.

"What's this, Johan's deck? Rei, sweety, is there something you want to confess?" Asuka pressed good naturedly. Rei stiffened. If she said the truth, would she be cut down? She considered before commenting on something she really didn't want to talk about

"He gave it to me." She replied in a non committal fashion. Asuka pried the deck from her, and Rei immediately snatched it back. Asuka judged her reaction before smiling. Rei flinched. Asuka could be a predator when she wanted to be.

"Why?" She responded simply and waited attentively. Looking away, The others avoided getting sucked into the conversation. Rei turned to Jim wishing him to defy Asuka as he often did, distinguishing him by his uniquely swirling aura. Unfortunately, he hadn't quite recovered from the news. He shook his head signaling he wasn't in the mood to fight.

I think they forget I'm blind. She mused, and Cusillu stated the obvious. _You're not exactly unaware._ Ryo made the motion to seal her lips. She blinked a few times to see if she had misread him. She didn't expect Ryo of all people to be concerned. He wasn't exactly wanting to cut in either. She sighed tiredly. She had seen enough. If they wouldn't defend her, she would lay it all down. She wasn't ashamed of it, no matter how it ended.

"He loved me." She concluded. What else could she say? It's what she wanted all those nights together to mean. Asuka shook her head before embracing her softly. She tensed from the unexpected gesture.

"Oh Rei, no one ever loved you. Every time you tried, you failed. Johan just took advantage of you didn't he?" She deduced viciously. Rei returned the embrace, chocking back sobs as she witnessed her doubts creep up on her.

"He was one of them," She admitted, barely audible. Aslla Piscu's vessel nodded in recognition, but did not scold her as Rei expected. Instead, Asuka stroked her back in an effort to calm down the wreck she'd created.

"It's okay, Rei. I can get rid of that deck if its too painful?" She offered carefully. Rei froze identifying that Asuka simply disliked that she might be influenced by Johan's monsters. Rei took deep breaths, and made it very clear no one would take the crystal beasts away.

"No, I want them. These spirits may have abandoned me, but I will make them all pay. I hope he feels it when I take them away from him." She answered darkly. Asuka watched as the sweetness wore away from her companion, and it added to her uneasiness. A vengeful aunt wasn't a stable aunt. However, what she did next gave her a tantalizing idea, Rei placed her new deck on her palm, and it glowed. Lines etched into the seven cards until it formed Cusillu's markings. Rei calmly shuffled the deck and easily drew the crystal beasts on her first hand.

"They're trapped in the deck now, but they're no different from any other card, can't see or speak to anyone. See how they like being alone." She explained in an eyrie tone. She stroked the outlines of the symbols with her finger. She glanced up at Asuka who appeared curious about the new trick she didn't know.

"I'll show you sometime. Could come in handy with Yubel, assuming Judai's still alive." Rei promised while spitefully referring to Asuka's own insecurities. Asuka acknowledged Rei's offer, but frowned, the last thing she wanted to think of was another possible problem while she dealt with her current dilemma.

"I grow tired of hearing all these spirits. When you're done here, I want you to accompany me to Duel Academia. There's something I need to pick up." Rei requested, and Asuka gathered what she wanted well enough. The demons at the academy definitely fell under her territory. Still, to blot out the entire spirit world, Asuka sensed something must have really snapped in Rei.

"Wow, you don't take rejection well." Asuka teased off handedly. There was no reason to intervene yet. Rei hadn't particularly done much in the way of conquering the spiritual realm for Cusillu. She saw no reason to stifle her sudden interest in the area now.

_It's about time you lent more of a hand. I'd given up hope._ Cusillu complained, glad that losing that boy had benefitted rather than hindered him. His vessel rolled her eyes used to the spirits furious tantrums. She consoled herself with the fact that she wasn't doing exactly what he wanted. There wouldn't be anything left to rule and that suited her just fine.

It was freeing to not have any pressure on her for once. So much so that Rei laughed and stroked the hair of their newest blue-eyed member. We blew up an entire city for you, boy. Yeah, totally worth it. She muttered to herself. Knowing that she shouldn't really keep the babe from a well deserved rest, she brought her attention back to her friend.

"Look who's talking." Rei teased right back. Rei had good reason to suspect discouraging heart break in Asuka's future. Although her plans to teach had fallen to the way side, the girl in front of her was fixated on the moments before her death bed. Rei deduced that Judai would have been the last person she saw alive. She wouldn't put it past Judai to simply have forgotten whatever trivial thing occurred, whether snoring, breakfast, or some meandering tale of his. They weren't his last breaths. Besides, there would be a great deal to distract him once Asuka was allowed to summon him. Frankly, Rei still didn't quite believe Judai's powers stretched his life span all that much. Then again, Johan had survived on his monsters's favor and sheer will alone. She presented a cheery facade half heartedly.

Unaware of Rei's misgivings, Asuka returned a brief smile before her thoughts traveled to two missing toddlers from her entourage. Without warning, her temper lit, turning on Jim who, once again, came under fire for performing below her expectations.

"Where are the other two? I swear I will decapitate you if even one of them is dead." She shouted, dangerously close to strangling the terrain expert. He almost tripped from the unexpected attack. One minute, she and Rei were chatting amiably, and next, she's demanding her young. Jim grumbled to himself. He restrained her hands in an attempt to defend himself. Unfortunately, he ran into complications that where not as likely to be brushed aside.

"I'm afraid someone else found them first." He confessed, and she pulled her weight down on him so he fell backwards. He hit the ground hard, making him wince. As she neared him, Jim began to contemplate if his body could still scar. It hadn't taken much for her to decide to mar Johan's face. He misplaced two whole human beings. It was lucky that Edo chose to finally speak.

"Take a chill pill, we know where they are. A woman has been gathering kids from all over the place. I think she's opening up an orphanage. I hope things go well for her," Edo announced regretfully, and it must have brought back memories of when he funded an orphanage because he looked very sincere. Asuka let got of Jim at the news and debated whether it was worth mentioning before finally broaching the subject. Yes, she needed his full cooperation and that would mean hitting his sense of justice, hard.

"I'm sorry. It must hurt to be the murderer instead of the victim." She alleged, and he lunged at her accordingly. They tumbled in the abundance of dust, neither budging. She laughed throwing the pulverized powder at him. He sneezed momentarily, caught off guard. She punched him in the jaw, and she got a chance to continue making her point.

"You may not have done the act, but you're still one of us. Any good you did in your life has pretty much been undone," She stated, gesturing to the wreckage around them. Edo clutched his head painfully in response. The accusation bothered the very core of his soul, but he turned on her. He figured everything occurred because of her plan and potential reward. If he ever wished to rest again, she would have to die. Edo's rage gave him the advantage as he lunged and tore her clothes and skin. She hadn't expected the sudden jerk and fell to the ground. His hands closed around her neck. The others finally reacted, moving to help her. She shook her head, gasping horribly. This was her fight to win. They all need to know she was quite capable of thwarting any death threats. She closed her eyes tucking her legs to her torso so that she kicked forward and finally tossed him aside.

"But, you can make up for it if you help me." She panted from the ground. She rubbed her throat, shaking slightly from the rush of energy to her muscles. Edo twitched from the same sort of juice. Fubuki needlessly rocked the already sleeping boy, unable at the moment to help his sister, a thought that nagged at him horribly. Jim looked on, unsure whether helping either would give him what he really wanted, freedom. On the more reactive end of the spectrum, Rei lifted Asuka up while Ryo restrained Edo from lunging again. Edo easily pushed him aside. He dusted his beyond dirty robe and glared at her suspiciously.

"How?" Edo demanded promptly. Asuka cleared her throat and bit her lip. What she was about to propose would sound asinine.

_You wouldn't dare._ Aslla Piscu raged when he read what she planned to do. She didn't waver. In a hundred years, the beast hadn't given her a reason to fear him.

I want them to be safe. She reasoned. The humming bird pressed heatedly in her mind with annoyance. She groaned and fell to the ground. She heaved rapidly, and visions of her death weighed heavily on her.

_I gave you life, and I can take it away. Do not surrender the signers. If you let them go, they will kill you._ The immortal warned, frustrated by her sudden disobedience. He wasn't used to it. She tried her best not to feel flustered by her sudden lack of control. She hadn't felt so vulnerable since her death.

Her companions backed away from the struggle. The orange flare of Asuka's arm warned them not to approach the struggle of servant and god. Her skin cracked in warning that she listen and repent. The ravaging destruction of the terror hindered her ability to protest. For several agonizing seconds, it seemed she would crack completely like a broken vase. Fortunately, her immortal had taught her well how to manage intense pain. She concentrated and addressed the god who dropped all previous pleasantries, it beat its wings furiously, a sensation not welcomed in her skull.

In two years, give me two years. I need time to get everyone in agreement. I will not let my children die because of in fighting. I wish to build a castle here, complete, with a worshiping altar. Please, I still want them, but they need a home. She added sincerely. Aslla Piscu considered the proposal and relented. A year or two wouldn't completely undermine their plans. The winged god still found the idea weak minded but with the proper handling, it could extend his influence nicely.

_You're scared, and the rest will realize that as soon as you say it._ The creature remarked. She nodded, slightly frazzled. She pictured her brain singed and charred beyond repair. She felt the familiar cool sensation associated with healing. When enough of the goo restored her senses, she retaliated.

You forget that I know them. I guarantee you that they will see it as a punishment. She decided, remembering their expeditions to the mall. She was sure that those smiling faces weren't a simple deception. The humming birds wing beats slowed in response, and it chortled.

_Prove it._ The god challenged confidently. She smiled and stood. As you wish, she replied curtly. The beating she received reminded her dearly of that deal.

"Take me to them," She ordered Edo. He nodded, unsure if she truly knew of a way to make his hands feel less bloody.

I laughed when I pictured their dying faces. Edo thought, suddenly disgusted with himself. Ccapac Apu cackled like a hyena. Edo visibly saddened from the brute's presence as he led everyone past the identical sand dunes.

_You're always like this when you're sober._ The god murmured displeased by his hosts current doom and gloom attitude. Edo growled involuntarily at the god.

I was doing fine until you decided to rewire my brain all those years ago. I've been nothing but your play thing for over a damn century. He shouted at the massive behemoth that resided within him or at least partly. The creature ignored his vessels' complaints and corrected him.

_You were bleeding to death when I found you, so no, you were not doing just fine, and I've kept my end. You haven't had a dull day since I picked you. You don't really have a problem with our arrangement, or you would never lose control. Deep down, you don't want the guilt and responsibility that's plagued your life._ Ccapac Apu insisted, and Edo quieted knowing the entity had a point. He didn't like where the being choose to lead the discussion, however.

_It's Aslla Picu's servant isn't it? She always gets on you nerves. Don't worry, once the world descends into darkness, you'll barely notice she's there._ He promised in an attempt to console his playmate. Edo groaned in vexation. He hated when his god put too fine a point on his arguments with the blonde.

It's no big deal. She only picked on me because she wants something. Edo alleged because he understood her motives, but the idea that he helped make orphans out of so many kids really killed him on the inside. He felt the familiar tug of the immortal's touch. He didn't fight it. Despite dodging any sort of accusations, the god took note of his boy's displeasure, and Edo noticed that he distinctly remembered what troubled him, but it didn't particularly bother him anymore.

"Here we are," Edo announced to his tour group. The place was larger than Asuka had expected. The building stood mostly unscathed with a few cracks and dents on its surface. She could hear children playing comfortably inside. She also heard, who she assumed to be, Martha telling the children to settle down. The surrounding area was severely damaged in comparison to the orphanage, and Martha no doubt wished to keep thugs unaware of the area for now. Asuka asked her brother for Yusei, and he didn't appear too happy, connecting that they weren't here for a pick up but a drop off. The multitude of protests would begin soon, and she was aware that she would have to explain her reasoning as well as the potential division in ranks it could cause.

"You're leaving him here?" Rei questioned, confused by the sudden change of heart. As far as she knew, the children were almost the only thing Asuka thought about. Asuka nodded, looking down at the boy. She hadn't exactly got a good look at him in her rush to escape. The group was dead silent waiting for further elaboration, everyone except Manjoume, who opened her eyes to the deception among them. He was baffled by the route her worries had taken, but he accepted it. Asuka did not do things on a whim. Everything she did was always planned.

"I know you all are not exactly honest with me, what happened to Johan attests to that." Asuka glanced at Rei who rubbed her shoulders and avoided her gaze. She didn't press the matter further, and continued to what really made her fret.

" Most of you, at some point, have thought of killing this baby." She stated plainly and no one answered but she noted both Edo and Ryo stepped back involuntarily. She sighed because they certainly weren't the only guilty ones. The rest were horrified by the accusation, but she noted underneath that they wondered if she knew their specific plans on the matter. Manjoume shook his head in denial. No, they weren't his plans at all. She ignored his silent plea. No, some of her companions were simply not as cold blooded, but it didn't mean they could be trusted, even her brother. He still refused to join them fully. She had no doubt that if things got bad in their circle that he would run off with the children and do exactly what she was about to.

"So, I'm leaving him here with his brothers until we straighten things out at home. By the way, home is now Momentum's core. We're building a castle there. Any questions?" She asked, eyeing them cautiously. They were her friends sure, but they were also her enemies at the moment who were packing immortal strength. Rei raised her hand causing Asuka to roll her eyes but ultimately play along.

"Yes Rei," She addressed her with slight irritation. Rei smoothed her robes and opened her mouth wide before replying. The girl had expertise on annoying Asuka. In the last couple of decades, Rei caused as much vexation as any of Edo's pompous barbs at her. Rei's specialty, sadly, dealt in pretending to be respectful when indeed she was patronizing the teacher.

"How do we know that these kids will still be the signers? Mr Fudo and Johan weren't originally." She pointed out, and Asuka stopped the lashing reply she planned and considered the question. It was certainly valid, but Asuka had a hunch concerning their enemy's instincts.

"Like our gods, the dragon has a collective memory. It remembered that Rudger would be a bad choice and made a roster change. Johan, on the other hand, suited its purpose. He knew us. In fact, he knew some of us a little too well." Asuka added brusquely. Rei lowered her eyes in response, but Asuka moved on with her little lecture.

"The Crimson Dragon places its mark on those it deems worthy. The dragon doesn't pass over potential because it's inconvenient. This batch has served the entity well. There shouldn't be a problem." She affirmed dismissively. Rei didn't comment, and Asuka assumed that she'd shamed her into a quiet period. The habit of raising their hands continued as Manjoume lifted his next. She waved her hands in recognition.

"Why a castle in the middle of nowhere?" He wondered as it seemed a bit frivolous compared to her usual tastes. Asuka smiled as she had planned its construction long ago.

"We'll be under a giant power source that we can use as we like. Not to mention once I choose to trust any of you, the isolation will keep my charges from too much outside influence." She explained although she didn't think toddlers would be hard to influence. They murmured in agreement that living in a castle didn't sound horrible. Both Manjoume and Edo sighed and silently grieved for their pocket books that would be drained considerably from the construction. Then, the conversations trickled. All eyes zeroed in onto the peaceful babe. Jim decided to voice what everyone was thinking.

"So, this is because of all of us?" Jim concluded and the others waited curiously for her response. His question remained unanswered. Asuka noticed the dimming sky and began to walk. She needed Yusei found before everyone retired to bed, having him stranded for a night wouldn't do. Her entourage stayed behind taking her silence to mean that they had indeed possibly signed their death warrant. Loose signers were enemies. It didn't help that they had expected the newcomers to provide much needed excitement. The tikes had become a much discussed joint property. The sudden lack of reward on top of a ran sacked city led to dire disappointment among them.

Asuka spotted two young boys in the courtyard. She identified them from Piscu's descriptions. They were playing tag and the taller blonde one was growing frustrated by the speedy red head. She chuckled at the innocent play. She almost hated to go through with it, but she just had to remember Ryo in combination with bath time to forget backing out. She hid behind a convenient piece of rubble and conjured a basket originally tucked away in their old far off hide out. She placed the boy in the enclosure causing him to shift slightly. Slowly, she placed him in front of her hiding place. A small carving of his name glittered in the moonlight inside the basket.

No way that I'm getting used to another name for you now. She thought, glad for some magical leeway on the plaques creation. She ducked when they got too close. She had no plans of revealing herself to them yet. She would need some way to get the boys attention without sticking around. She glanced at the sleeping boy before patting his head. Sorry buddy, she apologized silently. She shook the basket which disturbed the baby. He began wailing as he had done many times before, and she transported near enough that her charge was easily visible.

Jack stopped his chase of the younger boy and followed the sound. Jack navigated away from several piles of rubber heaps and junk laden turns until he found the loud creature. Jack analyzed the grubby face and wriggling wormy hands and didn't like what he saw. He stood there for a few seconds thinking that Martha would probably want the thing. She was taking care of anything that moved, provided that it was shorter than her. Crow realized that he no longer had his older brother's attention and hovered to see what the fuss was about. He spotted the alien creature and did the thing that made Jack find his follower incredibly hard to be around.

"Martha! Jack had a baby! Jack had a babyཀ Jack had a baby!" Crow belted furiously and repeatedly. Martha immediately came out of the building at the odd phrasing. She panicked slightly that they had left the nearby vicinity and listened for Crow's chanting. A few rips on her skirt and some unwelcome dirt later, she noticed the two peeked down at a basket on the floor. Martha blinked as she connected the pitiful howling and the abandoned basket. She marched her way over, careful to avoid sharp corners. In that time, Jack picked up the contraption and did what any annoyed kid would do to a screaming infant.

"Shut up!" Jack demanded and the infant quieted. No one ever had that response before. Martha reached her two most active charges and usurped control of the small bewildered bundle. She muttered a quick reprimand to Jack that would be furthered emphasized inside and worked instead on tiding up Crow's vocabulary.

"Crow, I think you meant Jack found a baby. There is a very big difference between the two that we will discuss when you're older, for now, just try to remember to use the right term." Martha explained, and Crow nodded furiously. The slow and steady procession began with Jack easily keeping up with Martha while Crow struggled. So much so that he skipped along and bobbed up and down as he tried to get a closer look at the new arrival. Martha sighed, sensing an onslaught of questions coming. She'd known the boy barely a few hours, but he had already proven to be a chatter box.

"Does he have a name yet?" Crow piped up excitedly. Martha delicately stepped over, what looked like the remains of a pitiful toaster.

"I suppose not," She muttered distractedly, narrowly missing a barbed wire on the hem of her long skirt. She'd have to shorten it if she planned to run after her small brood all the time. This left Crow the opportunity to voice his suggestion on the matter.

"Let's call him Raven," The red head proposed, picking up a stray card on the path. The toddler discovered people tended to leave good stuff lying around. He'd gotten into the habit of scavenging. As far as he gathered, the explosion didn't leave many people to scold him. Martha considered the idea. Well, she had let him name himself. He'd been so proud of associating himself with his black wings that she'd let it go. He also obviously wanted to establish himself as a big brother to the infant. In their new dangerous local, she could use another set of eyes on him when he started to crawl. She might as well pair up the duo early. She surmised, but Jack had other ideas.

"You can't do that," Jack insisted passively. Martha raised an eyebrow. The blond refused much contact with her small pool of rescues. She considered the fact he spoke up at all a small miracle although Crow's company appeared to be the exception to his otherwise aloof nature.

"Why?" She asked him directly. She learned quickly that reasoning with Jack proved neigh impossible without proper preparation.

"He already has a name." He declared. Crow sulked slightly but soon had to focus on not being left behind. Jack pointed to the glimmering object in the corner that had evaded her vision. Luckily, the treacherous, if short, walk ended, Crow dashed inside, and Jack held the door for her. She set down the babe on her makeshift table, safe in his small shelter. She pulled out the curious object and read the description.

"Yusei," Martha said in surprise. She recognized the name and the silver material on the star-shaped name plate. This little one once had a prominent family and future, son of Mr Fudo, creator of Momentum. She gathered from her slim knowledge of the subject, mostly constructed from brief newscasts. Sleeping without a care, Yusei knew nothing of the opportunity and love gone from his life. She set the small keep sake down with determination. Well, she would make sure all of them still had a chance of a good life, regardless of what path no longer existed for them. She would start by selling the valuable precious metal to get food. She expected a tough road ahead of her, but this would keep them all afloat for a while.

Jack made his way purposefully to her. He stood in front of her, making himself as tall as possible. Then, he cleared his throat before speaking his mind.

"I found him. So were is my reward, my queen?" Jack demanded looking at her expectantly. Martha laughed at the declaration. Oh here, she was worrying about food and educating them, and to him, she was the richest lady in the neighborhood simply because she had a place to live. She figured out a nice compromise anyway.

"You get to be his big brother," She announced, gesturing to the basket. Jack looked horrified.

"That's a reward?" Jack mumbled suspiciously. He remembered from his adventure books that queens tended to give out gold. Martha let a small sign of worry escape her. She didn't have a crib for the child, but he wouldn't fit in the basket forever. She'd have Crow accompany her in the morning to fish for crib parts. The kid had hawk eyes, useful in their new environment. She figured it wouldn't be any harder to construct than her slightly crooked table.

"Yup, didn't you know? Kings are all about taking care of people." Martha explained to him, and he beamed from the insinuation. She noted the pitch black atmosphere outside and the dimming candle. The time had come for the long difficult trial of bed time.

"Jack, why don't you inform the others that it's time for bed." Martha suggested, and he immediately set off to do as he was told. She wasn't sure how long he'd stay obedient, but she appreciated it nonetheless. She picked up Yusei and proceeded to quiet the rebellion which was surely starting.

Meanwhile, Asuka had not left her post, watching the proceedings quietly. She flinched a little at the name suggestion. It had taken her a few years to accept Crow's namesake. The possibility of two bird brains made her fidget on her perch, hypocritical as it was considering her patron. She deduced that Jack had a careful eye. He'd noticed the small token easily. Seeing them get ready for the night did her good. They were safe in that lackluster building. If she planned to leave them here for a while, the least she could do was help spruce the place up. Still, she needed to wait for her accomplice to arrive.

"You still haven't told me a thing," Edo complained from behind her. He'd grown fond of suddenly appearing from behind all of them, especially since Asuka hadn't particularly taken the sudden fancy well. She would become spooked and attempt to beat the living tar out of him for a few seconds before realizing whom it was. Over the decades, she'd grown used to it. She only smiled at the accusation.

In fact, she'd grown used to a lot of things that normal people reacted to. Rei often called her a living statue, but she wasn't so immobile. Her perspective tended to slow and scale. Days mattered, little compared to years and decades were more significant than that, and finally a century still was huge to her. She'd only gone through one after all. This would change some now though. She just knew that the next two years would be agony. After all, two years was still so much to them. How much would she miss? Would they come with her when the time came? She wondered but business had to come first.

"I know. I wanted to wait until everyone else left," She revealed, but did not elaborate if only to vex the impatient man further. He used to be so sure of himself. She remembered smugly. Now he doesn't even know what to do with his endless amount of free time. She observed, and sure enough, Edo swallowed his pride and asked again.

"What can I do to make up for all this?" He opened his arms, motioning to the junk and barren wasteland surrounding them. Much to his chagrin, her attention had left him as she noted the final kid travel to dream land. Edo scowled at her arrogant behavior. She'd heard him though and made her proposition accordingly.

"You still have funds?" She suggested casually. He looked over the modest building. He hadn't considered the option. Then again, they were stretches of time that he couldn't remember well. Edo wasn't as primp and polished as he used to be. Obvious things slipped by him sometimes.

"Take care of them. It won't make up for everything but it's a start," She declared and patted him on the shoulders. He didn't hate the idea, what kept him from completely buying the charity angle was Asuka's tendency to skew things.

"What's the point if where just going to destroy this place again?" He retorted and began walking away. High winds assaulted their nighttime chat, and her robe fluttered and flapped, ruining her stoic countenance. She spit her hair out of her mouth and yelled to the retreating figure.

"We'll give the place protection from Armageddon." She promised, and he stopped momentarily. Their gods were fairly flexible, despite their bratty natures. He swore he felt a pin prick, but his god didn't grace him with its obnoxious presence. He supposed that was enough of a promise for now.

"Okay, but where not gonna find anything open right now," Edo argued and eyed the pathetic scrap heap wearily. His mental stability maybe a mess, but he still didn't like seeing one. She gave up on staying cordial and let the wind swirl and beat her.

"Today, we're moving everything we bought for them to the orphanage. Unless you don't want to be a beast of burden for orphans?" She stated and stuck her tongue out at him. His brow crinkled. He shouldn't have started that. She tended to start the fights now, hey, at least she did something for a change when they did spar. He grabbed the cuff of her ensemble and led her back to the hide out.

"Come on Goldy Locks, let's cheer up some orphans," He ordered while she skipped along to keep up with his pace.

"Yay," Asuka proclaimed, happily. One ally gained, five more to go. She thought to herself.

_I don't think your taking their immortals into account._ Aslla Piscu cautioned, and she duly noted the warning. Right now, her baby needed a crib.

* * *

><p>Edo took care to set up the variety of supplies they had accumulated over the years in the variety of rooms the place had. Edo found it surprisingly homey and spacious. He began in the living area which lay vacant while Asuka already set her sights on retrieving, what was quickly being called among them, her favorite. He rolled his eyes and caught her sleeve before she strayed too far.<p>

"We need to do this quietly. Don't do anything stupid, loud, or both," He emphasized before adjusting the fancy shelf of books that she insisted on dropping off.

Tch, like any of them are going to be hot shot scientist or anything. He grumbled and picked up a stray book.

"Don't worry I'll be setting up Yusei's room," She said, sensing him close by. He dropped the box of toys that he planned to scatter across the room. The light thud noise didn't disturb the mass of children in the area.

"I'm not sure there are exactly enough rooms for that around here." Edo tried to let her down gently. Safer or not, it was still an orphanage. If they weren't filled now, they would be full soon.

"There is right now. This place is really big, and the kids don't like to sleep alone in the dark." She repeated her earlier observations to him. She wanted to set up the nursery. He wouldn't be alone for long, but that was more of a comfort than anything. She walked into Martha's abode as sparse as the others. She zeroed in on the tiny frame next to her. Slowly, she made her way inside until she crouched next to the child.

"Hello," She whispered to the little star. His blue eyes traveled to her at the greeting. He gurgled oddly in response. Wide awake after sleeping all day. She picked him up, and he cooed happily. She shushed him, but it seemed Martha was a hard sleeper.

"You get so happy to get any attention at all. You'd think you were raised in a lab," She marveled, and soon, she realized he was.

"Oh, well, let's get you a real crib," She murmured, glad to see that his mood seemed to improve by leaps and bounds since he was last awake. He continued to chatter nonsensically. She hoped no one around was a light sleeper. Asuka easily grabbed the crib, and a couple of other contraptions that the salesman at least told her would be useful. Yusei didn't particularly mind being rolled along the crib as long he could see her. He whined when she began setting up the surrounding space, so much so that she rolled him along as she worked. Edo face palmed as he witnessed her proceed and had only one thing to say.

"Your going to spoil them," Edo stated matter a factly. She stuck out her tongue and reached for the curtains.

"And if I left you in charge, you'd leave them somewhere in Nevada," She accused, and he shrugged off the comment. He wasn't that out of sorts, at least not right at the moment. She humphed and carried on. Eventually, everything was nice and tidy in his room. Without having to carry around the small banshee, Edo managed the rest perfectly. He resisted the urge to rub it in and informed her their current mission was complete. He had even left money for food on the counter.

"I'll see you at home." She informed him curtly. Edo pushed her roughly to express his displeasure.

She wants to get caught. He imagined considering her careless attitude through the whole ordeal. Debating with himself for a bit, he guessed that if the cart marathon hadn't woken anyone that anything else she did in the next few minutes wouldn't matter.

"See ya," He replied and slid out the window before phasing out of existence. She shook her head and checked on the fussy squirming lump. She placed him in her arms, and he let out a high pitch squeak. She couldn't help but smile.

A helpless thing full of unconditional love, She concluded warmly.

Boy, I finally get what my brother had in mind when he had me hold a puppy. She mused as she rocked him.

He wanted me to want a child someday, with someone. She sighed, not that a someone was possible anymore. She'd always been a practical girl, and she'd fallen for an impractical boy who split across the universe. Of course, she would have rejected the idea of settling down immediately when she breathed and lusted for battle. However, that lust had ebbed into a calling, she had wanted to share the joy she felt in the duel with her students, and maybe, slip in some literature in science in the mix. That was gone now too, in its place was a different sort of nurturing, she would teach them everything.

Oh, how the gods change your perspective. She judged and frowned, because it was time to say good bye, sort of. She knew that she'd turn into a bit of a stalker, especially when he started to crawl.

"I'll see you later, Yusei." She promised, despite whatever life threatening thing stood in their way. Sensing that she planned to put him down, he began to wail. Normally, she would only be concerned that an unwanted trespasser would rush in, but painful incisors of heat burned into her. She nearly dropped him from the shock. She blinked profusely, not expecting the vermilion to blaze on his petite arm so soon. Her own insignia flared almost imitating the colors of the rising sun. At its presence, his screams reached a fever pitch. She desperately tried to console him. She didn't want to get caught, but she didn't want to leave him so distressed. So, she talked from the bottom of her heart.

"Okay, I probably deserve that for taking everything from you," She admitted as she circled impatiently and eyed the door. This admittance did nothing to deter him from his grievances. As painful as the dragon's bite was, she realized after a few seconds that the mark would do no worse.

He's too young to do much else. She noted while she shook silently from the powerful gnashes. Allsa Piscu's symbol shined as its energy quadrupled. She cursed profusely thinking perhaps that the humming bird had become fed up by his insolence. Thankfully, Yusei seemed to quiet and watch the orange rays with interest. She tensed when his tiny hand touched her mark and the dragon head's brilliance faded.

_He likes me._ Aslla Piscu remarked in surprise. She barely believed that. Yusei instinctively cried harder when the humming bird's lines first counteracted the crimson pattern. Yet, there he was examining the beast's form before giggling happily at its radiance. He tapped her markings lightly seeing if it would glow brighter. She sank down together with Yusei on the rocking chair in relief. No one had disturbed them although any other time she would be indignant at the lack of alarm his cries induced.

He doesn't know better. She relayed to the immortal. She wasn't upset by his response. Far from it, the results were encouraging. The bird inhabited her mortal coil so the little one's approval made her brighten like a newly lit match. The bird hummed a haunting sort of tune before addressing his host.

_He's going to like the color orange._ The bird voiced for no particular reason. He sounded a bit smug to Asuka. She gathered having your bitter enemy's vessel like you added a particularly sick sweetness to the vengeance against them. The aerial earthbound wasn't done producing mischief.

_You worry that he won't love you._ Piscu surmised from her line of though recently. She rocked the chair faster. Her god's examination of her consciousness made her feel ashamed, because he found weakness and petty human emotions. Tonight, this did not induce rage from the creature but amusement.

_I can make him love you._ The winged beast offered as the rampant energy focused on the child. The words sent chills down her spine from her crackling nerves. The boy showed no signs of immortal control, only a brief moment of clarity on whom this person was. The Nazca spirit had told him so.

"Mama," He greeted her, guided by his current mythical playmate. Asuka frowned at the introduction. The babe shouldn't have the mental capacity for speech yet. Her partner turned oddly stubborn about helping her at times. She slowed the chair a bit before reacting. She couldn't let the action slide, even if her brain mushed at the phrase. She corrected her winged companion.

"Don't tell him things that aren't true yet," She said aloud in a slightly reprimanding tone. The spirit ignored her attempt at any sort of authority, but withdrew its power from her arm. The little star complained slightly at the loss. She stood, ready to head out of the place. She prepared to ease him into the idea of her leaving. His cries would make any sort of sneak attempt to check on him difficult if she didn't correct the behavior early. She hummed the stray tune she heard once curtsey of Jaden's harmonica. Yusei's eyes drooped as she covered him in his blankets and continued the impromptu lullaby. Asleep, she easily sneaked past him. Closing the window, she dropped down on the dirt like a rag doll as the tension left her. She rubbed the mark on her arm as she thought of the scolding that Edo would certainly give.

Technically, I wasn't loud. The baby was. She rehearsed, not that she thought she would fool anyone. The speech was simply a maneuver to distract from the burns on her arms. The dark signers as a group were fragmented enough without the thought of the kids themselves attacking them.

* * *

><p>She wandered away from the sparsely populated area to the simply lifeless center where only bits of sand accompanied her. Too drained to pull off any more teleporting, she managed to return to Momentum's center eventually and was not surprised to see her crew had retired to more civilized quarters. All except one, Asuka glanced up at Rei who stared down at the swirling mass with an unhealthy sort of longing. She knew better than to assume Rei meant to end her own life.<p>

The rainbow touch of the potent energy must remind her of Johan. Asuka discerned, climbing up to join her. Rei turned and nodded to acknowledge her presence before maintaining her quiet vigil. The current dark signer leader wrapped her arm around the girl who accepted the contact without reacting. Then, Asuka proceeded to give the dumbest pep talk she'd ever have to give.

"You're still sad, aren't you?" Asuka deliberately inquired. She knew the answer, but Rei tended to discard her negative emotions quickly, if Rei planned to get any closure out of the ordeal, now was the best time. Rei bothered to react and swiped at her weakly.

"Yeah," Rei replied, not taking her eyes of the vortex below. Asuka continued despite general lack of enthusiasm.

"You miss him," Asuka responded dryly. Rei lit up a little at Asuka's dull comment. Rei squeezed Asuka's hand and stole a glance at her before answering.

"Yeah," She said, astonished by the truth. She was tormented by the utter complexity of their relationship, but the whole thing boiled down to lamenting his passing. He was gone, and she was not. She found the idea difficult to swallow. Asuka rubbed Rei's palm soothingly whilst getting to her big idea.

"You want to remember him?" Aslla Picu's keeper questioned, and Rei embraced her and nodded into her shirt. Asuka encircled the young dark signer and offered her a gift.

"Then, you will. In your chambers you shall have a shrine to honor him, and at our altar, there will be a special place dedicated to both Johan and the crystal beasts." Asuka promised as Rei tightened the hug. She sniffed and rubbed her eyes.

"Thank you," Rei told her gratefully. She patted her back accordingly.

Anything to get you past this. Asuka thought whole heartedly. A weight lifted from Rei's shoulders, she released Asuka and stepped back from the reactor. She bore her gaze at Asuka and countered her question.

"Do you think everything will work out for us?" Rei asked uncertainly. The path they led almost seemed impossible. The way it started, how happiness was wretched from them so easily, and the fact Asuka seemed so eager to invite the grim reaper to the party, not that she had anything against Judai personally. Asuka twirled around the top of the machine for a few minutes before sitting down which Rei gladly imitated. Asuka kept her attention on the stars before reassuring her fearful friend.

"Yes, we have a bright future," Asuka foretold with a far away mind, rubbing the burns on her arms.

**Thank you for tolerating the long wait. I'd like to thank everyone for their interest in this story and for taking the time to review. I appreciate it. **


	5. Choice

Choice

"Remember, act normal," Ryo cautioned, making Asuka wince and turn back from the entrance. She already wasn't sure how the day would go. None of the clothes Rei picked out for her would make her seem like a good mom. They had to believe it. The simple fact that she was inhabited by a death god would be enough for most people to send her away. Luckily, there was a good reason why she asked Ryo to accompany her. The man was stubborn. He caught her sleeve before she managed to chicken out.

"Like it or not, you're times up, so go in there and reclaim what's yours before your birdy throws another temper tantrum," Ryo insisted. She marched back to him in defeat and glanced at the building she'd stalked heavily in the last two years. The place hadn't changed much except that a few new cracks showed and a couple of old ones were plastered with playdough, the credit likely fell to her youngest. He'd taken a shine to construction and mechanics, among other things. In fact, a shiny new bribe waited in their castle. Actually, she had an assortment of bribes for all of them.

Asuka couldn't help but feel she would return unsuccessful. He little star was raised by this woman. He may still be young and susceptible, but to Yusei, Martha was his mother. She also knew, despite being the youngest, Yusei would make the final decision on who they went with. Whatever alteration Aslla Piscu made to his head was permanent. He'd picked up speaking quickly although not fast enough for Martha to question it. The other two trusted his judgement. They found Yusei knew a lot of things, and usually, it was better to listen to him than hear I told you so later.

She hadn't had trouble deterring potential foster parents either. As the first of her charges, Martha always insisted they go as a set. The prospect of three boys was often enough to scare people away. She rarely had to sabotage them. She hated to be involved in the potential adoption process anyhow. It always seemed to start with a couple liking the bright blue eyed boy, only to learn that he came with two rowdy brothers. Yusei normally took the rejection the hardest. After all, people always gravitated towards him while ultimately leaving him wondering what he did wrong.

She didn't like seeing him cry. A motivation that had almost gotten her caught several times. She was sure he'd at least glimpsed her a few times. She became almost positive of it when the first words Martha heard Yusei say were birdy. An indiscretion that the other dark signers teased her about constantly. She or Piscu were often called birdy interchangeably. A nickname the fallen bird did not take well.

Still, Asuka herself was often more concerned with looking after her youngest. It's not that she neglected the others per se. Asuka literally yanked Jack out of many scrapes. She kept Crow's sticky fingers out of any policeman's grip as well. Her only real explanation for her devoting the majority of her time to him was that he was her baby, and Yusei tended to attract his own set of problems. Sure, there were kids who electrocuted themselves because of electrical sockets, but those kids likely weren't trying to fix it in the first place like Yusei was. Kids also weren't scavenging for parts to build their own toys. So, he often kept Asuka on her feet. In the end though, she couldn't ignore the reasons she left them in the care of someone else in the first place. There were personal issues to be settled between them all and trouble brewing on the home front repeatedly. Most of the time, Martha oversaw things while Crow, Jack and Yusei looked after each other.

Now, the protector from afar role was no longer feasible. Loose singers made the other gods nervous, and Aslla Piscu impatient. The lingering threat they represented was enough to get everyone in agreement, certainly not all at once, and not before a few attempted assassination, but the castle was now a mostly sound environment to raise children. At least, that's what Asuka kept telling herself.

"I'm not ready," Asuka complained, hovering outside the door as she had for the last fifteen minutes. Ryo rolled his eyes, and made an excellent point.

"If you screw up, Aslla Piscu will bail you out. Not to mention, the fact that you even want all of them and are educated will be a huge plus in Martha's book. Besides, without the blacks of your eyes, you're a pretty single mom." Ryo encouraged her as she rubbed her neck in an attempt to calm herself. In a now or never sort of bravado, she waved Ryo away to observe from afar.

She knocked and stood tall. She almost wanted to hold the latch in place so they couldn't open the door. The last time she'd faced this sort of blatant judgement of her appearance was during her graduation party where the guy she tried to impress did not bother to show up. At least now she was sure to have an audience, she heard their eager footsteps now. The face that peeked through the door was not who she expected. Instead of Martha, she saw Crow's one eye look up at her suspiciously.

"What's the password?" Crow demanded, puffing his cheeks. Caught off guard, she crouched down and played along. She watched over them enough to know this week's password, and the knowledge might be enough to impress him.

" Junk Barrage," Asuka stated matter a factly causing the little carrot top to whistle.

"You psychic lady?" She giggled and shook her head. The three took turns picking the phrase. Last week, Crow had chosen Black Whirlwind.

Stepping inside, she found the puzzles she'd dropped off earlier in the week in good use. Yusei was almost done with Aslla Piscu's wings. Jack was having trouble with Ccarayhua head. No, none of the dark signers were above propaganda. These were not the only earthbound styled toys they had, and a serious library on the Incas was technically available to them. She wasn't completely proud of the fabricated scary stories staring a giant Crimson Dragon also included. Perhaps, they never heard those tales. Ultimately, Martha read to them at this age.

She almost snatched them up then and there, but there was an etiquette to follow. Impulses would ruin her. Careful planning kept her existing. The children would have to be introduced to their particular lifestyle carefully. The pretense was good to keep in front of Martha, but there was no use in hiding her true nature from the toddlers. She could think of a person or two who wouldn't bother to play along.

Martha left the kitchen with an apron loosely hanging from her shoulders as she approached her. Her rounded face smiled with the warmth of a fireplace hearth. Asuka returned the gesture finding her own smile feeling more like plastic.

"Hello Martha, I contacted you about the children," She reminded her. Martha shook off the bits of flour clinging to her apron in an effort to make herself more presentable. Asuka didn't move when a piece of it landed on her cheek. She wondered if her actions came across as unnatural. She wiped the substance off, and forced herself to look amused.

"Ah, yes. You were looking to adopt Yusei, Jack, and Crow," She shouted as a means to gather the preoccupied boys. Yusei reluctantly left the puzzle while Jack looked glad to have an excuse to leave his. Crow, who was snooping from afar, trotted over to them casually.

At this juncture, they examined her like a potential plaything. Did she look broken? Would she cause them nightmares? Was she even any fun?

Crow figured the wrapping paper was impressive, but he hadn't seen enough to make him want to pack. Jack found her nervousness a bad sign. She didn't look as capable of keeping order as Martha was. He was all for rejecting the prospective taker. Martha kept making appointments in an attempt to home them, but truthfully, Jack was already settled in. Both of them, however, knew Yusei had an unexplained longing for something beyond their crowded home.

"These are my first charges. Ultimately, I want them to choose whether or not to go with you. No matter what, they are always welcome to stay," Martha assured them. Crow and Jack whispered to each other for a minute or so. Then, the two older brothers pushed Yusei in front of Asuka. Yusei hadn't reacted past what the they liked to call Yusei's normal expression. It usually meant he either had no present like or dislike to what was going on, or he was busy planning ahead.

"What do you think Yusei?" Martha asked, understanding the boys intention to let Yusei choose for the group. Up close now, he stared at her in a sort of trance. She stiffened further, curious if he did recognize her. Martha shook him gently to get his attention. The movement stirred him. He proceeded to huddle with the others for another group meeting. From what she heard, Crow and Jack did not hold her in high regards. Yusei was on the fence. She fidgeted at Yusei's suggestion. Crow protested and murmured he would rather be nearby as support while Jack reluctantly decided that it was the best way. Finally, they reached consensus.

"I want to talk to her alone" Yusei insisted. Despite finding the request strange, Martha obliged guiding them to an unoccupied room. Yusei went in without qualms. Asuka slid in a similar fashion to a reluctant slinky. She wasn't sure why she was suddenly terrified. She attributed the unpleasantness to Piscu's current lack of moral support, and the fact that every nightmare she ever had involving Yusei condemning her for murdering his parents began similarly. Yusei took a deep breath before speaking.

" Jack, Crow and I will not be used as slaves, factory laborers who earn insufficient wages, assistants to help run a Meth Lab, or any other illegal activities." Yusei made clear to her. The statement only troubled her. She wondered if having them raised in Satellite was a mistake, despite the close proximity to their base.

"Are those the type of people that ask about the three of you?" She demanded in a tone Martha tended to use when Yusei got roped into one of Jack and Crow's schemes, both angry and pitying. The lady sounded sincere to Yusei, but so had the other thirty or so couples who sweet talked him and dismissed him shortly after.

"Yes, if you haven't noticed, we're not in New Domino City," Yusei pouted slightly that tangy bitterness directed at the city rarely showed. It was something Martha suppressed while instilling a desire for them to learn. This woman stirred discontent within Yusei. The words flowed out easily and letting them out felt good to him.

"I know little one, and if you went with me, it is not a place your likely to set your eyes on more than once or twice " She admitted softly. Yusei didn't really understand the statement. The city was easily visible across the water. No matter what part of Satellite they entered, it would be relatively simple to travel to the edge of Satellite. The actual landmass was relatively small compared to the city or the countries he read about. He let those stray thoughts go, traveling to the city wasn't what he was worried about.

"Why do you want us?" Yusei asked promptly. The whole situation could be decided on this one question. Yusei never saw a reason to distrust Martha, but had a multitude of reasons to distrust a perfect stranger.

"I love all of you," She answered swiftly to great affect. Yusei fell down as if he'd been hit. He looked up at her, eyes full of tears.

"Why should I believe you or anyone else that wants to take me away?" Yusei cried. No adult had pulled that trick before. As far as he was concerned, it was inexcusable. She'd known him for five minutes. He didn't want an adult who told him what he wanted to hear. He wanted Martha who cared enough to pull his ears when he did something wrong. He was ready to run out of the room and yell out no very loudly.

He felt himself being scooped up suddenly. He wasn't sure if Martha had come for him, all he could see was floor from his perspective. Cradled, he realized it was the same lady who upset him moments before. Before he could violently kick her in the face as he had learned from observing Crow do the same to escape a police officer, she spoke.

"I wouldn't lie to you." She relented, and Yusei found it odd that she understood exactly why he was upset. Crow and Jack always told him he got upset for strange reasons. Martha normally had to ask what was wrong. He regretted staring into her eyes. They reminded him of a tiger's as he couldn't bring himself to leave their hypnotic gaze.

"Tell you what, I'll tell you a secret if you give me a chance." Asuka pleaded, and as expected, Yusei found himself curious. He nodded and subconsciously clung to her right arm. The warmth of it called to him and eased his frantic thoughts. He found himself growing tired the longer he held on. There were pinpricks of pain forming on his own arm. He had the sudden urge to run again although his body felt too heavy to really move.

"Not yet, I want to do this on my own. You can neuter the damn dragon later," Asuka hissed at something. At him? No, that didn't make sense. She moved his hand from her arm which released him from his semi-conscious state. What he saw when he peered up at her perplexed him, he could of sworn her eyes were normal a second ago. The oddity reminded him of something.

"Are you El Cucuy that Martha talks about?" Yusei inquired finding himself unafraid but not exactly comfortable either. She laughed and hugged him tighter which triggered Yusei's instinct to squirm away. She rocked him with her knee, a sensation that strangely pacified him completely.

"No, even though I am here to take you away." She reasoned while he peered at the blacks of her eyes. He never had seen anything quite like it. She noticed the stares and asked.

"Are you afraid of me?" She wondered, unsure if the answer would get her anywhere. That sort of response is the last thing I need. She complained while Aslla Piscu rejected her self pity.

_We could have easily put him to sleep. You could have lied to that woman and taken them all. With me around, no one would object._ Aslla Picu explained the usefulness of his power of suggestion. Asuka bristled restating her purpose in bothering with formalities.

I need them to come to me willingly. The trust I form with them must not be artificial and constructed by you. She commanded which the bird took as a signal to quiet after enacting a final warning.

_Do not falter and my lies won't be needed,_ Piscu heeded fraying Asuka's partially remaining nerves. The child she held was ready to tell her his decision. He lay fairly limp on her crossed legs, but his words hurt.

"No, I'm not, but I want to stay here. Martha and my brothers are all the family I need. I realize that now," Yusei concluded proving Asuka's previous fears correct. The humming bird witnessed the need for his continued interference arise and taunted his host.

_Yusei you will come with us and hate the color red along with everything associated with it._ Piscu instructed the unaware toddler in jest. Asuka groaned inwardly, glad at least that the bird had yet to carry out his will on the boy.

That's Judai's favorite color. She pointed out the flaw in his supposed brainwashing scheme. The bird snickered.

_Then, why are you complaining?_ Piscu challenged while Asuka pushed him away to the recesses of her mind politely. The bird humored her and withdrew.

Let me handle this. Asuka begged. If there was one victory she needed to earn on her own, it was the love of her children. That simple satisfaction hopefully would keep her sane in the years to come.

_As you wish,_ the bird relented, inactive once more. Asuka eyed the blue eyed boy, who despite saying otherwise, showed no signs of leaving her side. His brain knew to get up, yet his body suffered some glitch of contentment.

"I'm going to show you something else. I think you'll like it," Asuka decided lifting up the sleeve of her right arm and showing him Aslla Piscu's symbol. He recognized the Nazca depiction, and he even had several toys based on this particular symbol. Despite his familiarity with the mark, instinctually, his eyes welled up. Inexplicably, he began to wail. Asuka rocked him in her arms quickly, half expecting Martha to barge in and pull the plug on the meeting.

Yusei considered this strange lady having the familiar insignia an odd coincidence. The orphanage had received numerous packages since Yusei could remember under similar emblems. Yusei associated that particular one with deliveries marked especially for his group. Then, it clicked that perhaps she was the mysterious benefactor.

"Do you know me?" He questioned her. When Yusei asked, Martha always told him he had been dropped off, complete with several gifts including a silver star bearing his name. He always fancied that his real parents were the people funding the orphanage and that they would one day come for him. This kind of dampened that particular dream, but it didn't hurt to ask. He didn't think she'd lie.

"Yes, I left you in Martha's care two years ago." Asuka revealed as Yusei rolled off of her in alarm. Naturally, he wondered two things. One, could his eyes do that? And second . . .

"Are you my mother?" Yusei blurted hopefully. The inquiry pained her slightly. Lying to him would ensnare him and allow her to take them all with relative ease.

_Say yes_, Aslla Piscu commanded exasperated. She couldn't. Lies always resurfaced later. No matter what power you had available to help you.

"No, but I can be," She offered in a similar tone.

_Idiot,_ Piscu interjected snappishly. She let out a genuine smile.

At least, I'm amusing to you, no? She commented in response. She sensed his distinct good humor, even as she received the silent treatment.

Yusei considered the offer. He found her compelling, but he needed to know more if he was going to drag the other two with him. His two brothers were quite happy to stay here. Martha was Jack's queen after all, and Crow buried his hoard somewhere nearby.

"What are you?" He pondered knowing he would likely need a comeback if the word devil came out of Jack's mouth. The lady rubbed her head tiredly and muttered unintelligible things as if fighting with herself. Finally, she humored him.

"Dead, but I'm lonely," The remark startled Yusei. Well, he thought she felt icy, but a zombie? He better make sure that she wouldn't put them in a stew.

"Your not going to eat me are you?" He replied bluntly. She burst out laughing, gradually sliding down onto the floor. He observed her from behind the rocking chair. She didn't act like any zombie he saw on TV.

"No, I'm not going to eat you, Crow, or Jack." She reassured him. He nodded, not leaving the protection of the rocking chair. She stood and reclaimed him. He didn't fight her. It didn't help that the tune she hummed sounded familiar. She waited till his eyes almost fluttered closed.

"Don't you want to come with me?" She soothed, and Yusei yawned. He glanced over at her, and remembered why he avoided looking directly at her in the first place. He nodded, because he couldn't help it. Any unsettling thing that past through her mouth was instantly countered by pacifying reassurances. She was an attentive zombie mom if ever one existed. Yusei decided.

"Tell Martha," Asuka ordered in a smug manner. Almost as if he were stuck in a dream, he wobbled forward. She turned the knob, and held his shoulder to guide him into the living area. Crow and Jack eyed him nervously. He had been in there for almost thirty minutes. He looked neither disgruntled nor content. He was half asleep, and that didn't sit well with Jack. They didn't trust anything he might say right now. Martha noted only that Asuka did genuinely care for the sleepy tike and her smile shone brilliantly at the other two, not like the sorry excuse for a smile she had when she first entered.

"I want to go with her," Yusei requested as told. Crow and Jack gave Martha doubtful gazes. Luckily, Asuka brought transportable bribes with her. They were a couple of five year olds. No five thousand year old dragon could change that.

"Great, I brought cards for each of my new sons." She emphasized the conditional surrender of the cards . The reluctant toddlers ran over to her excitedly, and even Yusei grew alert at the mention of duel monsters. She had a fair idea of what cards they preferred, and they eagerly took their respective presents. Martha watched from the sidelines. Once talk of holding a mini tournament began, Martha interrupted the group.

"I've had several talks with Asuka. I've run a background check. She's as qualified as anyone else I've brought, but do you want to go?" Martha tried her hardest to keep sadness from her tone. She loved her boys, but she wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

"Yes," They shouted simultaneously, already setting up a matts to play. Asuka nudged them. They peered up simultaneously like fraternal triplets.

"Go pack," She declared, and it sunk that following Asuka would lead to major changes. They did as told although Martha had to add a complementary glare before they got to work. Asuka and Martha assisted them. Martha mainly let them take what they wished. The boys talked amongst themselves, but much to her relief, the word zombie or cucuy did not come up in front of Martha. Asuka heard her car's engine near. Ryo must have decided that things were likely going their way. She proceeded to take the packed boxes outside. Ryo mostly kept to the shadows. She specified that she did not wish to tell Martha more than was necessary, and she had made it painfully clear to Manjoume that she would be raising them without a father.

Eventually, the last box was put in the trunk. They lingered outside the door knowing that going out would mean the end of their stay there. She wasn't about to let them change their minds. She lifted Yusei into her arms, and used him as a sort of lure so the other two would follow. She looked back at Martha who now had an entourage peering behind her curiously.

"We'll come visit sometime." Asuka promised. She didn't plan on cutting ties with her completely. Having a place to go might help keep the hostility and treachery that brewed in the castle from affecting them too much.

Martha was glad for that kindness. She'd grown fond of those three. Still, she shooed the children inside. There were plenty of others who needed her.

The trio waved furiously at her until she went inside. Asuka rocked Yusei into a stupor. She didn't need him to blab. She rather not explain to Jack and Crow what she was in the car. She did not need them to possibly jump out and run into the artificial desert. The two eldest were impressed by the car with its noir paint job and savage speed. They were entertained for a time by the endless dunes. The more sand that surrounded them, the more they became aware of the rapidly vanishing junk yard expanse they used to call home. A chill ran down their spine as a stone castle came into view. It towered over their minuscule figures growing larger as their rode neared it. No soccer mom had some desert home she visited on weekends. This was their permanent abode.

"Welcome home," Asuka cheered joyfully as she jumped out of the car together with Yusei in her firm grip. The squabbling duo took a double take of the person they agreed to let raise them. She seemed scarier up close.

"You think she's a vampire?" Jack asked Crow. Crow gulped and made his usual surly comment.

"If she is, I think we've been duped." As more cloaked figures surrounded them, including the one which drove them in the first place, they wished they had stuck with Martha. They would have been assembling for dinner to eat broth about now. Instead, they unleashed a can of worms with a promising label. Each boy could only hope the other would get eaten first.


	6. Connections

Connections

Crow and Jack held each other for dear life. The encircling black hooded figures were tripling their heart rates. It was the type of thing that only happened in the scary movies that they weren't supposed to watch. The leader of this impending attack on their lives was none other than their new mom.

She wasn't the mom either imagined. In fact, they wished that they had not based a major life decision on a pack of cards. They might very well die. Crow thought of how he would not recover his hoard or learn to fly. Jack thought of how he failed to protect his subjects by letting Crow die with him and leaving Yusei to become their hell spawn. He wouldn't be able to make amends with Martha either for leaving her to run things alone. At that point, Jack considered getting violent while Crow made a last brave attempt to charge through their legs. He got caught by one of the fearsome devils. A girl with a surprisingly strong grip held the squirming would be escapee. Jack's fists were stopped by a silver brute and another snakelike fiend. The packs' attention seemed to turn to the blonde with mild amusement.

"You didn't tell them about us yet, did you?" Rei accused Asuka who nodded.

"They didn't leave Martha's side in the house, and I wasn't risking them freaking out in the car." Asuka explained to her defensively.

"Everyone pull down your hoods. We all look like a bunch of grim reapers," She grumbled. Ryo and Edo chuckled and complied. Fubuki played along, and grinned. It was nice to see her simply feel for once. Half the time, he wasn't sure Asuka was still in there. The brunette simply giggled. Rei sensed how panicked the two new babes were compared to the calm two-year-old who had literally been taken from his home twice. Asuka watched the stricken five year olds. It was time to set them straight.

"Don't worry. No one is going to hurt you. We're just a little different," Asuka assured them. The two toddlers were a bit too spooked to listen. Their keepers didn't believe it wise to release them which only made the situation worse. Asuka frowned. She would have to get more hands on then.

Yusei, meanwhile, yawned and wriggled out of her grip. She complied knowing she would have to introduce him to the others sooner or later. He froze at the similar empty black eye rims around him. He hid behind her as he wasn't willing to believe every zombie was friendly. She patted his back reassuringly. He ventured from behind her only to be ambushed by Fubuki who had heard quite a lot about him. Asuka placed trust in the group sparingly. As her brother, he was a glaring exception. Any gushing on the kids, reminiscing, or troubles passed her lips, he heard about it.

Naturally, he decided to entertain him. Yusei appeared to already dislike being carried by a relative stranger. Fubuki wasn't one to give up easily. He rocked him in an effort to subdue Yusei's newfound anxiety and gave his sister a thumbs up. She nodded in approval while narrowly avoiding getting bit by Crow. Fubuki traveled to his own chambers with Yusei in tow. Once there, he handed the young boy a notepad and a pen.

"Here, I have no idea where Asuka hid the toys but what kid doesn't like to doodle?" He explained heartedly. Yusei accepted the offering and proceeded to walk out of the room. Not one to stifle people, Fubuki simply walked beside him. He was sure if Asuka had been nearby she would have him locked in a room somewhere. The murderous atmosphere in the last two years had taken a toll on his sister. He remembered their frequent past outings as kids with longing. She doubted these kids would see as much sunshine. Not that the desert outside was anywhere near as fun as the big old tree they used to sit under and play cards in.

"Have you picked out a room yet?" Fubuki casually asked. The kid stopped walking and thought about it. He shook his head and replied.

"Maybe later," Yusei continued walking holding his notepad and pen vigilantly. Fubuki humored the boy for a few more minutes before telling him.

"You do realize we've been going in circles right?" Fubuki quipped casing the boy to halt and turn around.

"Could you show me around?" He mumbled, and Fubuki grinned. He was a sweet kid, quiet like Fujiwara. He'd have to keep Ryo away from this one.

"Sure," He responded happily. Would he have eaten yet? He wondered. It didn't matter anyway. He'd probably like something sweet so the kitchen was as good a destination as any. He figured and hoped his sister was having as much luck with the other two.

Asuka was growing tired of the attacking little ones. She already was kicked twice and punched once. The others had long given up and gone inside so she scooped them up and headed to her room. Asuka hoped a heart to heart would make them settle down.

Inside, she put both on her generously sized bed, the result of which led them to fight each other instead. She rolled her eyes and separated them. Talking to both at once probably wasn't the best idea. She also would rather not have either of them wander off yet. She needed to get their attention.

"Boys, listen, or I won't give you your new toys," She threatened. They stopped, and looked at her strangely.

"You're not going to eat us?" Crow asked in surprise. Asuka slapped her forehead in dismay. She was really getting tired of that question.

"No, I am supernatural, but that's all," She insisted. They whispered to each other for a few minutes. Asuka honestly thought that progress had been made until they hid under the covers. Soon, each tried to hog the covers which ended with Jack pushing Crow off the bed. He gave Jack a dirty look. Soon, the younger brother had an idea. He might have stowed away something of use on his person. So, the orange haired toddler shook his hair which held a bunch of shiny metal knickknacks in it. He piled the hidden treasure together and stuffed it in his pocket. When he realized Asuka witnessed all this, he slid under the bed warily.

She laughed out loud at the little scavenger's antics. She hadn't seen such ridiculous displays of childlike charm since Judai. She disregarded the thought. Automatically associating him with Judai wasn't fair. She might inexplicably start going harder on him. The humming bird's partner proceeded to drag him out by his foot. He pounded his fists on the floor in protest. She ignored his temper tantrum and lifted him up. This wasn't working.

She could gain the upper hand easily, but she knew that there was a possibility of spoiling them if she gave in and showed them their toys early. As a compromise, she decided to give them each one of the simpler toys. She handed Crow a spinning top. Jack scrunched his lips jealously until she distracted him with a magnetic rail twirler. They were preoccupied, but she was no closer to easing them into the truth. The dark signer figured that she might as well try again.

"I'm not sure if you know this or not, but its as good start as any. I'm Asuka Tenjoin. This is the castle I built for all of you," Asuka introduced herself. Crow stopped his spinning top to listen. He liked the idea of the castle being built for them. It was an excuse he could use later if he damaged it in any way. She was pleasantly surprised to see them behave and glad that Martha had ingrained manners into all of them.

"Cool, can I keep playing with my toy? Crow asked impatiently. Considering how many toys she'd given them over the years, it was slightly disheartening to see them so engrossed in an one dollar toy. Oh well, she did buy these knickknacks on a whim. As Jack spun his toy, he had a different opinion on what her motives were.

"Yeah right, you're just an old bat that got lonely." Jack accused her impetuously. Okay, some learned more manners than others, she decided. _Smart boy_, Aslla Piscu interjected. She rolled her eyes, but she had to admit he wasn't completely wrong.

" Well, I am old. I am lonely. However, I am a humming bird, not a bat." She corrected him while showing off her tattoo. Jack blinked profusely. Martha would have socked him if he said something like that. Her reaction confused him. She had revealed something important in the process though. He recognized the symbol. It happened to be a motif of many of their toys, especially Yusei's. That insignia also indicated she was one of the people who shipped the orphanage supplies. The hummingbird bearer he knew gave special treatment to the trio. They often received packages under that mark, meant for them and them alone. He developed a new found respect for this person. She obviously had been looking out for them all along, but she still wasn't as good as Martha as far as he was concerned.

"There's more to this insignia than meets the eye. It gives me magical powers." She elaborated while transporting from one end of the room to the other. Crow ooo and awed. Jack showed little emotion, yet edged her on.

"What else can you do?" He asked. She put her hands on her hips in annoyance. He wasn't satisfied easily. She lifted the bed they were on. Jack almost stumbled off before she tilted the bed to balance him.

"And?" He continued to pester, appearing unfazed by everything he had seen so far. She put the bed down as the stunt had proven useless. Her shoulders slumped as the situation began to wear on her. What exactly did these kids see on a regular basis that made them so hard to impress? She wondered even as she indulged them.

"I can live indefinitely." She retorted, biting her lip as she heard the word vampire begin to spread. At least that was the end of it, she thought. Asuka could hear Aslla Piscu cackling. That bird was no help sometimes.

"And?" Crow asked this time. She had genuinely grabbed his attention. Well, two out of three sort of liked her. It's a start. Asuka decided and picked out something that sounded impressive but would not disturb them.

"My body's nearly invulnerable," She proclaimed which lead Crow to poke at her with a sharp piece of scrap metal. Not a scratch on her, he marveled. She took away his weapon and gave him a look that said it didn't mean she liked getting hurt. He grinned sheepishly.

"And" They said simultaneously. She pinched the bridge of her nose. She'd rather not go into full detail on her abilities. It varied immensely depending on her god's mood.

"Anyway, everyone here is a dark signer like me with the same sort of power and ominous appearance. Inhabited by generous gods, we are basically the lifeless given purpose. Everything would be great except we all have a common enemy. The feud started when," She stopped abruptly which peeked their interest as she hoped. Jack made eye contact and put down his toy. Crow raised his hand.

"Yes Crow," She gave him permission to speak.

"You didn't finish the story." He whined. To her surprise, Jack was equally peeved.

"Yeah, what enemy?" He asked with a certain amount of skepticism.

_You'll be stuck here all day. Perhaps, you should have waited to sour them toward the dragon until tomorrow. Tonight we'll be more than enough to make them fear it._ The humming bird taunted. She ignored him. If they were to seal off the crimson marks tonight, she needed them to come running to her, not the vast expanse of desert.

"No, you don't want to hear about that. The monster is kinda scary." She protested in faux determination.

"But I want to hear the rest of the story." Crow pouted.

"A monster?" Jack inquired curiously. She only needed to tell the tale to have them in her grip.

"All right, I'll tell you. You see there was a battle between gods. Those of the earth that defended us: the humming bird, condor, spider, lizard, monkey, and giant. Then, there was the vile crimson dragon of the sky who wished to enslave the people and keep them from their desires." She explained confidently as she already knew Crow liked this sort of thing and Jack was intrigued by the gods.

"The dragon and its followers defeated our gods. The earthbound immortals were sealed into the earth that they wished to protect. Every time they manage to escape, the crimson dragon hunts them mercilessly and relentlessly. " Asuka spoke in a slightly sad undertone.

"That doesn't seem fair," Crow shouted. Jack nodded reasonably. They had received a small taste of persecution in Satellite. Asuka wrapped her arms around them.

"I know," She said sincerely. She may have skewed the story some, but so long as her desires were granted, she could care less what the crimson dragon's true motive was.

"Don't worry. The beast is dormant for now. Here, I'll draw out how it looks like. Its followers carry this symbol," She announced ceremoniously and drew out the dragon. Jack subconsciously hid his arm when she drew out the wings. He'd had that mark all his life. Now, he wished he didn't have it. She might grow to hate him, and he was starting to accept the idea that she might be a cool mom.

Asuka knew and expected such a reaction. Crow was pointing at Jack's hidden mark eagerly. He didn't grasp the reality of the situation, to him it was just a legend. Satisfied that she'd sown the seeds of doubt, she patted Jack's back reassuringly.

"Of course, what I said can remain a story so long as all of you are with me." She instructed as she lifted Jack's sleeve. She touched the mark experimentally wondering if it would flare as Yusei's had once. Jack flinched at her touch. The instinct to run overwhelmed him. Never had he felt this sense of entrapment and cowardice. Of all the things she could have done, she pecked him on the cheek. He ducked his head down to hide the unwanted redness it caused and Crow snickered.

"Then, it's just a symbol, my boy" She proclaimed cooly. That finished, she found the time had come to let them run loose. Not that she wouldn't watch them as diligently as a man waiting for the lotto numbers to be announced. The new mom felt the need to find her missing youngster as well who had missed the official explanation of everything.

"Come on, let's find your brother before Fubuki has him in a suit. We might be too late actually." She considered with nostalgia. He hadn't really tried to dress her up again since she flipped him over. Part of her missed it, so many other things had changed, the routine sibling squabbles would have been nice to continue.

She took hold of their hands and teleported. Sure, some would consider it lazy, but with her unpredictable brother, it was a worthy investment. Her superfluous entrance won its share of onlookers including her brother. Yusei, luckily, was untouched by her brother's fashion ways. An empty ice cream cup beside him, the boy was simply scribbling on his notepad. The two siblings ran over to Yusei and spoke to him excitedly. The others were in the midst of eating their deserts and talking amongst themselves. She hoped nothing questionable had come up in conversation. The blond took her sweet time walking over to her fellow dark signers. Apart, they were pleasant. Together, they tended to almost tear her limb from limb with their demands.

"You worked wonders," Rei complemented off handedly.

"Yeah," She acknowledged her and sat next to Fubuki. She noted Rei and Ryo's close proximity, but said nothing.

"At least, I won't have to deal with your little brats." Ryo dictated icily. Their alliance was an uneasy one, but one she trusted to hold. She also would have him eat his words.

"Oh, I guess you don't mind if they touch your stuff then?" She commented callously. Ryo surveyed the room. The kids were nowhere to be seen. There was a chance that she was bluffing, but checking his room couldn't hurt. He stood quickly and rushed out. His mood soured as he heard laughter behind him. If any of them had the fortune to stumble into his room, they were dead.

He clicked the door open to find two out of the three intruding. Yusei sat on the bed with his infernal notepad. Jack to his dismay was fiddling with his old electric collars. Scratch was he said before, he was dead if that kid got shocked. He launched himself over there quickly taking the brunt of the shocks.

"These are not toys," He scolded the blond. Jack shook his hand in a panic as he wanted the electric tingle to leave him. Ryo sighed, and returned the old mementoes to their proper place. He barely felt the electricity run through him. It made him feel rather lifeless in comparison to before when the shocks would motivate him to crush others souls.

"Let Jack shock himself with shock collars," Yusei said aloud and documented on his notepad. Those words sent a chill down his spine. The brat was going to tattle on him.

"Give me that pad or I'll drown you in the bathtub." He threatened.

"Threatened to drown me in bathtub," Yusei declared and wrote with undaunted determination.

"Okay, I warned you," He hissed, only to be attacked from behind. Asuka glared at him.

I don't think she'll believe I was kidding. He thought tiredly.

_Not likely_, the lizard mused. The damn thing was always so catty. To his relief, the young writer distracted her.

"Started fight to death in front of us," He observed and added it to list. Asuka dropped him and turned to Yusei. She looked a little nervous. Ryo wondered what the hell the bird in her did to have Asuka of all people apprehensive. Asuka always seemed the most off after the transformation. Right after, her whole world was the damn brats.

"Yusei, sweety, what are you doing?" She asked him politely. Yusei didn't look up but answered.

"Making a report for Martha to read," He confessed. Asuka eyes bugged out of her head at the remark. Okay, he might enjoy the panicked entertainment that the mother bird provided once in a while. She sat next to the little snitch and proceeded to interrogate him.

"What all did you write down?" She questioned worriedly as she had left the two-year-old with Fubuki.

I would probably think twice about that choice. He considered warily. Even in death, the guy pestered him. It was certainly better than the quiet that usually surrounded him.

"Gave me ice cream for dinner, silver haired guy almost threw a fork into my eye, and you told Jack he was possessed by an evil god," He prattled on good naturedly.

"Stop right there. I'm going to need you to give me that notebook." She instructed cautiously. The boy appeared to listen at first. The precious info lingered close to her hand. Then, he yanked it away and instead, dashed out of the room. She grumbled unintelligibly and took off after him.

_Ah the bond between mother and child_, his spirit muttered sarcastically. He rolled his eyes at the comment. Although he wasn't enthused by the new arrivals, he had greatly enjoyed the last century without them. Asuka hadn't been such an oppressive prick then.

Two gone, one to go, he thought happily. He shifted his attention to the troublesome Jack. The boy had cards in his hand. That alone wouldn't be enough to rankle him, but they were Sho's cards. Getting anywhere near them spelled certain doom for the holder, Ryo thought of snapping his neck then and there, except, the stupid lug had to open his mouth.

"I didn't know you could duel without Synchros. They're kinda neat," Jack quipped. Ryo twitched involuntarily.

The kid probably doesn't know what fusion is either. He scoffed silently. Okay, maybe after he explained some things, he would kill him.

"What sort of cards did you think people used to play with?" He asked rhetorically. Unfortunately, he received an answer.

"Normal cards," He said passively.

This conversation might run longer than I thought. He complained to himself.

_Have fun_, the lizard snickered. He shuffled his deck grumpily.

"Come on kid, let's duel" He ordered.

Now, Jim had no agenda, kept to himself, and often, questioned how wise it was give up his life for this farce. His original reason rapidly disintegrated. That girl wasn't his tomorrow girl. This girl held no future of her own. This girl had embraced the role of motherhood. This girl was twisted into believing that Judai would make it all better. Worst of all, this girl's hands were full of blood. Although officially she had done nothing, she had waited the precise moment to reenact Zero reverse. Dark signer Asuka was a monster.

Only, her blind love for those children showcased any remaining redeeming qualities. In spite of the circumstances, some humanity in the household was welcomed. His own tainted life had not distorted him much. The whale he found held little interest in keeping dominion over him. So long as Jim continued to serve the creature, Chacu Challhua didn't care what he did on his own time.

The creature despite its animal crest held a fascination with fire. He was often asked to satisfy its want for destruction. Thankfully, he was free to choose the location. The scrapheaps along the edges of Satellite served him well in these instances.

Chacu Challhua had a heart. Like the other gods, it was attracted to certain types of misfortunes. The whale cared for children and so Jim's affection for them intensified. He avoided Asuka's and Edo's pet orphanage for fear of drawing attention to himself. Instead, he traveled around Satellite and the city aiding any child in need. He preferred to satisfy his god's nurturing tendencies than assist in building its destructive force, a preemptive step which let him keep his level head without sacrificing his health as Fubuki had.

Returning from his regular trip to the city, Jim saw quite a spectacle, a little orange haired boy on the roof with crudely fashioned wings. Intrigued, he teleported closer where a second boy with a notepad watched worriedly. Asuka, a disheveled looking mess, stood beside him. He tugged at her now destroyed skirt for her attention.

"He's trying to fly again," Yusei informed her. She nodded, ready to step in. Jim placed a hand on her shoulder to stop her. He had an idea of what would keep the toddler from ever repeating the stunt again.

"Let me handle this," He pleaded. She tensed knowing at most she had minutes to keep Crow from jumping. Trust wasn't an easy thing to take from her. Jim hadn't been around her enough over the years for her to justify what he was asking. And yet, she didn't have a reason to distrust him either.

"Okay," She decided. He grinned and stood there doing nothing. As a result, she fidgeted uncomfortably. Crow began to flap his makeshift wings experimentally. She could hear Yusei repeat the words don't jump, over and over. Finally, the blasted bird brain leaped. Before she could change her mind, Jim caught him in mid air. When Jim stuck the landing, Crow laughed nervously in Jim's arms and shivered involuntarily.

"That was scary," Crow uttered, wiping beads of sweat of his brow. He shared his condolences with a quick pat and set him down. Jim needed to put the groceries away. An interesting plus that came in being the living dead was you could eat whatever you want. Jim figured the kids would need something more nutritious than ice cream and chips. To his surprise, his marvelous catch earned him a follower as Crow skipped behind him.

"Thank you," Asuka mumbled. Jim took the time to tip his hat to her. He could admit she wasn't the worst monster in the world at least. Crow copied the motion despite having no hat of his own before skipping along again.

"Allowed Crow to jump off roof," Yusei surmised in his detailed report. Asuka narrowed her eyes and lunged. Yusei ran behind her brother who happened to come across them. His cane dug into the ground, and Fubuki scratched his head.

"What are you doing?" Fubuki demanded in all seriousness.

"He is recording a detailed report on their first day here to give to Martha." She confessed hoping Fubuki would see the problem. Her brother smiled in that all knowing way of his.

"Yusei, can I see the notepad?" Fubuki asked nicely. The boy complied much to her annoyance. He showed her its contents which were little more than chicken scratch. She didn't look either in the eye. Fubuki hugged her so they could talk privately.

"We also don't have a mailbox genius," He revealed pouring salt in the wound. Releasing her, Fubuki returned the item which Yusei put inside his pocket. She lifted Yusei who squirmed at her touch after the murderous chase he endured. Time was on her side as the moon had long overtaken the sun's reign. Tired, he soon rested between her fleshy shackles willingly.

"Where's Jack?" She inquired fretfully. She had lost track of him when she started chasing Yusei. Fubuki grinned knowingly again.

"You know how you wanted them to choose their rooms? Well, he picked the biggest one," He announced smugly. Asuka grimaced.

" I have the biggest room." She fumed in frustration.

"Exactly," Fubuki retorted.

"So, he's there," She reiterated to make sure. Fubuki nodded as he walked along side her. Even if the news irked her, she knew the day could have gone so much worse. Asuka made a side trip to the kitchen where she found Crow in a chef's hat too large for his head. Next to him, Jim assembled a stew. The red head assisted Jim by handing him vegetables and cutting them with the Australian's guidance. As the stew simmered, the cook addressed the group.

"I thought the kids might want something other than ice cream for dinner, Fubuki," He explained pouring the substance into three bowls. Asuka winced. If she considered Martha's presence in the kitchen when she picked them up, there was a possibility Crow and Jack hadn't eaten all day.

"It looks like your missing a boy," Jim pointed out as he set the table. Crow ran to his seat and crushed the food in his jaws savagely. Yusei tugged on her shirt. She guessed what he wanted well enough and put him down. He walked over to one of the remaining bowls and ate slowly. While the kids dug in, Asuka came over to Jim and hugged him. He dropped the ladle he was holding. In the last hundred years, never did Asuka show such an open display of affection to anyone other than her brother and Rei.

"Thank you for everything. Now, if you excuse me, I need call Jack for dinner." She stated graciously. Jim composed himself and picked up the ladle. She left him in the hands of Fubuki who sported a sly grin. She didn't want to be around for that conversation.

When she entered her room, she saw Jack laying lazily on her bed. He opened one eye to check who had entered and relaxed. She wasn't someone to fear. The dark signer rested against the wall.

"This is my room you know," Asuka revealed calmly. Jack nodded but didn't move.

"So, I can stay here if I want, " Jack taunted and remained on the cushy mattress. There wasn't much evidence that anyone lived here. Unlike Ryo's room, it wasn't overly filled with keepsakes. There was one photo of a man sporting a red jacket on the dresser that he hadn't seen inside the castle. Otherwise, he discovered one album full of photos when he rummaged. If he had looked further, maybe he would have found girly clothes and items that girls were rumored to have. Still, he liked the room, and was reluctant to leave it.

"Get up, dinner's ready," Asuka announced.

Damn, I am hungry. He thought sadly. He obeyed if only for the sake of his stomach and planned to go out the door, only to realize that he had no idea where to go. He had gone into Ryo's room by chance, and he had left Jack here. Asuka walked past him and gestured that he follow.

They arrived in the kitchen where his two brothers chattered back and forth, empty bowls in front of them. He joined them and ate the warm stew. Fubuki had left the kitchen before hand. Jim sat with the boys and listened as they conversed. Asuka watched them from afar. Eventually, they began to yawn in succession.

"Time for bed," She ordered expecting some sort of backlash. They listened and trailed behind her. The business of choosing their rooms had to be dealt with.

"Pick a room," She instructed, thinking they would be thrilled by the prospect. She didn't think they had ever had a room to themselves ever. However, the drafty hallway did not prove inviting, and the dark inside of each room had an unsettling effect on their sense of safety.

"I already picked a room," Jack insisted which caused her eye to twitch slightly. The other two stuck close by her grabbing the fringes of her torn skirt.

"Can we stay with you?" They said in succession. She sighed and thought, one night together wouldn't hurt. Perhaps, in the morning the rooms would look more favorable.

"Sure but only tonight," She agreed conditionally. They nodded furiously, and Jack smiled smugly. She glared at him. No way, he was stealing her room. There was also the matter of the seals that would be placed on them tonight. Having them all in one place would be beneficial. She tried not to think of the little girl that she couldn't quite get a hold of yet. Her situation had to be handled delicately, handling the pain alone hopefully wouldn't scar her indefinitely.

She ushered them into her room, flicking the light switch on. She handed them tooth brushes and pointed to the bathroom. She traveled briefly to where she kept the majority of their things including the packed boxes. That would have to be dealt with later. She returned with three new pairs of pjs. Both Crow and Yusei slipped them on quickly. Jack didn't look so enthused. The bearer of the crimson wings observed the location of the packed boxes and excavated his regular pjs.

He's very set in his ways for a little kid. She observed silently. He slipped into the middle of the bed, and his brothers settled on either side. Yusei, she noticed picked a spot where she would be next to him. She changed into her nightgown in her private restroom and returned to find the brothers wide awake. She switched off the lights and ignored the wide-awake youngsters.

"Can you tell us a story?" Crow demanded cutely. Most of her books weren't exactly children's stories. She did have an assortment of true tales centering on someone she wasn't prepared to think about. If she explained it in the proper manner, she could avoid any follow up questions.

"Once, there was an idiot." She began, sliding under the covers. They stared curiously at the story teller. No story Martha ever told ever admitted the hero was an idiot. The story caught their attention.

" He arrived on an island where the rules ranked him the lowest of the pack, a Slifer red. Normally, that would be that, an idiot put in his rightful place. Except, he excelled and proved himself better than many at the top. This irked some and impressed others." She continued sadly as the tale resurfaced old memories. Asuka began to wish that she'd picked something from the book shelf. It was too late now. They wanted the rest, and Yusei tugged at her sleeve again when she stopped for too long.

"His successful string of duels was enough to convince the principal to make him one of the guardians. I was one actually." She admitted which resulted in many hands being raised. Asuka let them go ahead and ask their questions.

"You were? This is a true story, then." Yusei concluded, and she nodded accordingly.

"Can we hear about the duels?" Jack suggested excitedly. She thought it over.

"We can go into details another night. How about an overview today." She compromised, even if she wanted nothing more than to never mention any of this again.

" It lead to a team called the Seven Stars to start trying to pick us off one by one. The idiot managed to survive while we one by one perished. He faced the final danger alone which I supposed started his solitary path," She mused and realized that she skimmed a bit too much for it to be anywhere near satisfying. Asuka supposed that the subject was too close to home for her to want to tell it right. Any mention of him caused her to remember how he had failed to help them. Crow's hand shot up.

"Yes, Crow," She complied.

"What was his name and why did you skip all the good parts?" Crow pestered.

"I'd rather not hear his name honestly. I'll tell you it starts with a J if you'd like to make up something to call him. This story isn't sad, but the last installment kind of is. I promise to do better tomorrow, okay, " Asuka promised which was enough to satisfy Crow's curiosity for now.

"Okay, we will call him JayJay," Crow decided while suppressing a yawn. Jack had nothing to say except.

"Add a Duel next time," Jack ordered and shut his eyes. Yusei, unfortunately, sensed her sadness.

"Did JayJay upset mommy?" Yusei asked sounding the tiniest bit angry at the suggestion. Asuka patted his head in an effort to calm him.

"No, he was just being an idiot like usual. Go to sleep," She demanded and saw that Yusei wasn't convinced by the answer. This worried her since she didn't want to burden them with her regrets. Still, she couldn't help but smile when Yusei held her hand to comfort her.

"Now, if any of you start to feel pain, hold on tight. It will pass. " Asuka relayed persistently. They nodded apprehensively. Pain wasn't something they associated with sleep time, and its mention before bed was troubling, but eventually, they fell into deep sleep. She stared up at the ceiling waiting for the wailing that would soon commence. This was the final obstacle between them, and she braced herself for the dragon's wrath. Three out of five marks were present beside her after all.


	7. Fear

Fear

The night had been quiet. The only disturbance so far was the discovery that Crow snored. A fact Asuka was learning to live with. The humming bird stirred restlessly, flapping its wings in anticipation.

_It's time. _Aslla Piscu warned her. She checked to make sure they were sleeping soundly. Gingerly, she undid Yusei's hold on her hand and crawled out of bed. She hoped distancing herself from them would lessen any damage that might come her way. Already a dull glow shone on their arms, Asuka knew once the spell hit its tempo that the marks would retaliate violently. Ready for any escape attempts that might ensue, she waited.

The vermillion rays intensified as the others conducted the ceremony. They shifted in their sleep, the pain no worse than a heat pad. Without warning, the light unified, turning into a beam, which hit her squarely in the chest. She let out a cry which she regretted instantly. The three toddlers awoke to see her on the floor. The charred area looked like molten lava and was impossible to hide. Yusei ran to her worriedly. The dragon head insignia on his arm flared the closer he came. Asuka instinctively recoiled. He looked at the thing in horror.

"I'm sorry," He whimpered. She moved to embrace him against her better judgement. He could burn her to cinders, but she didn't wish to scar him so. Abruptly, her strength left her. This was not a strike from her enemy but of her ally.

_Bad idea_, Aslla Piscu told her. She cursed at her god's interference as she fell forward. Again, she couldn't control her mouth and let out a chilling scream. Yusei backed away, sniffingly quietly. Jack sighed and pondered if he had infected his brothers somehow. He calmly rose from the bed. He knew the other two couldn't handle a situation like this. Crow was attempting to hide his mark under the pillow, and Yusei had retreated to a corner.

"Where's the first aid kit?" He asked. She didn't think that would help much, but she appreciated the help nonetheless.

"In the bathroom cabinet," She instructed. The lingering burning sensation on her charred chest struck a cord. So, the crimson dragon ultimately decided her life span, nothing but her god could do worse. And yet, despite the molten appearance, her wounds weren't too severe. Unless her god wished it, she generally healed quickly. At that moment, she realized how conniving her god could truly be.

Heal me, I know you can. She demanded angrily. The god chuckled.

_Relax. I shielded you from most of the blast. This is strictly for their benefit. The sooner they perceive the dragon to be a genuine threat the better. _The beast concluded darkly. Her eyes widened at the implication. She'd be rendered useless as a simple scare tactic. Jack returned with the first aid kit seeming to not know what to do past that. He opened the kit. The bandages looked promising, but he wasn't sure if they'd stay on or burn away. The blond decided to turn her over at least. Asuka groaned at the abrupt movement. She expected another onslaught due to his close proximity. Instead, he began to slump as he wrapped her wounds. Her mark sprung to life seeming to turn the tables and weaken him.

_Ah, the dragon's backed itself into a corner. That blast was the most it could manage from its young hosts. I have the advantage now._ The winged bird gloated triumphantly. The symbol almost blinded her with its energy. Jack fell over, unable to keep his eyes open. Much to Asuka's relief, he kept breathing steadily. The humming bird's vessel understandably grew nervous by the bird's activities. The beast noted her discomfort.

_I'm simply weakening the dragon's hold on the boy. It can't escape, and will soon attempt to crawl out of each of them like a sewer rat. _Her companion explained, reveling in the dragon's predicament. The news surprised her as she would think tackling such a spiritual entity would be more challenging. The immortal laughed.

_The crimson dragon is simply outnumbered, and cursed to receive us before it's ready. Our combined powers are more than a match from a couple of measly children. _The being admitted heartedly. With Jack out cold, the other two were extremely on edge. Yusei attempted to rub off the mark in vain, and Crow was visibly shaking under the covers.

"Come here," She told them softly. Yusei shook his head, his eyes settling on the charred mass on her chest.

"I hurt you," He pointed out. Frowning, she saw that Crow similarly ignored her request and instinctively climbed down to huddle together with Yusei.

"Please," She pleaded. Yusei really wanted to go to her. She could tell by the way his outstretched hand reached out longingly. He did nothing else. The ever present insignia guaranteed that it would only end in pain for one or the other. Yusei glanced down at the birthmark as if he were hand cuffed.

"It won't happen again?" He questioned suspiciously. Crow popped his head from the blanket mass to see her response. The freakish occurrence had him hiding away because frankly, it's what sparred him almost every time. His arm was growing uncomfortably warm, but if she said it was fine, he would listen. As a zombie, Asuka had much more experience with these type of things anyway.

"No," She revealed tiredly. According to her god, she wasn't the susceptible party at the moment but the signers. Yusei crawled over cautiously and gained confidence as the mark's light began to fade. Crow watched the proceedings and deemed it safe to follow. Asuka sensed Aslla Piscu return her ability to move. She gladly sat upright. Relieved, the two threw caution to the wind and hugged her. Touched, she eagerly encircled them, accidentally making contact with Yusei's insignia. The birthmark reacted with intense ferocity, shining in all its glory. Crow's and Jack's symbol followed suit making her feel ill. In theory, she had the advantage, but the ratio of signers and dark signers in the room was much different. Dangerously close to unconsciousness, she managed to hold on to Yusei's arm. Burns accumulated from the act, but she could feel Yusei shaking from her touch. Asuka smiled, forming an idea. As light headed as she was, the effect worked both ways.

"You don't want it?" Asuka asked Yusei who nodded and held her tightly. No new burns formed, and the light began to retreat. Eventually, the continual menacing up well of energy stopped. The red lines noticeably turned ashy and dull. On her other side, the little carrot top suffered from the dragon's wrath, cradling his mark fretfully.

"It hurts," He wailed, close to tears. She moved over to him. The instinct to run over took him, but she wouldn't have it.

"Let me help you," Asuka insisted as she grabbed the offending arm. About to protest, he lost the will to and sank to ground, drained. Rendered into an identical condition as the first, the birthmark looked no different than a tattered temporary tattoo. Job done, she sank to the ground unwilling to drag everyone back to bed. Two sets of hands clung to her. Remarkably, they remained awake and shaken from the ordeal.

_They're ours. _Aslla Piscu proclaimed proudly. Vaguely, she wondered what the bird considered them to be. Pawns? Pets? Trophies? No matter, she was in charge of them, and they weren't in the best state of mind. Asuka stroked the two in an effort to soothe them. They whimpered unintelligibly. She doubted they'd want to sleep alone ever again.

_Rest. I will be busy. The girl is being difficult, and the other will have no chance alone._ _Her spirit has always been fragile. _The humming bird informed her before seeming to vanish from her consciousness. The feeling was disconcerting. Sure, at times, the immortal ignored her, but it was always there. Still, its essence remained, or she could not continue to exist. Her attention returned to the two boys. Yusei and Crow were sprawled on the carpet, exhausted. Their familiarity with the floor was obvious. Making herself get up, she scooped them up. Sleep might come easier on her bed. Tucking them in, Asuka proceeded to pick up Jack who slept fitfully. That done, she collapsed onto the remaining space. Both boys, crawled over Jack's unconscious body and squeezed beside her. Yusei winning the right to be closer by way of paper rock scissors.

Naturally, the bird proved correct. Any of her quirks paled in comparisons to a beast that could obliterate them from existence. The spectacle made her a saint in their eyes. Poor mom almost got roasted alive yesterday. We should behave. She thought to herself idly. Basking in the love, she held them.

"Go to sleep. The dragon won't bother you again," Asuka reassured the tikes. Their regular bed time had long since past. Yawns escaped from the two. Humming the tune which always brought Judai to mind, it seemed to do the trick as they buried themselves in the sheets. After a few minutes, Crows snores resumed. And, Yusei turned into an immobile lump.

The morning didn't greet her with the usual bombardment of dark signers flitting about the castle. Even the kids refused to get out of bed. She didn't blame the children for wanting to sleep in a little longer. Serving them breakfast in bed should give them a boost, she decided. Drifting to the kitchen, she resisted the urge to snack on potato chips and chose to make eggs. Easy and quick, and with any luck, the eggs she made would be fully cooked. Shamefully, she had succumbed to eating junk food over the years. Her skills in the kitchen were rusty and performing such tasks again made her nostalgic for her college days. The most preparation she had to do for food of late was pressing microwave buttons. Eggs ready, she poured orange juice into three cups and headed to her room where she found an empty bed. The sheets were tangled and dropped to the floor in a hurry. Oh dear, they must have gotten the wrong idea. Asuka assumed and proceeded to sigh, thinking that they could be anywhere.

"Mommy, mommy, mommy, where are you?" Crow shouted anxiously. Thankfully, Crow might as well have a siren tied to his back. Turning around, She saw Crow run around the hallway in a panic. Her other charges weren't far behind. Jack logically checked the surrounding doors. Yusei hovered behind him, expressing concern.

"Relax Yusei. Zombies are sturdy," Jack claimed. Once again, a crisis hit and the two woke him, spinning wild tales of Asuka exorcizing the dragon out of them. The faded insignia confirmed something of the sort must have happened. Jack didn't mind that. Their marks had hurt someone, better to get rid of the problem now. What he did mind was Yusei always running off who knows where. As the older brother, it had turned into a tiresome chore to keep an eye on him. Albeit, once in a blue moon, he ended up somewhere fun. However, this time, Yusei was outright convinced that their new guardian had perished. Jack had his doubts when he awoke to find her nowhere in sight, but certainly, Asuka had only run off somewhere. Jack figured, if they could find someone who knew their way around the castle, the task of finding her would be less daunting.

"Hi boys, breakfast?" She offered from behind them. She hadn't considered how they might feel to see her missing in the morning. Maybe, she should have tried making pancakes. After yesterday, eggs seemed to be a paltry offering. Jack took a plate. Glad that as far as he could tell, she seemed fine. Yusei sprinted over to her and attached himself to her leg.

"You're alive," Yusei exclaimed happily. Sort of, Asuka corrected silently.

"Yes, I . . ." She began, wondering if she needed to explain last night's events. Crow tackled her other leg. They're too young to dwell on the matter. She realized and dropped the subject. She coughed to get their attention.

"Here, eat," She instructed. Much to her relief, breakfast was well received. Living in Satellite, their stomach's were equipped to eat almost anything, and the eggs were only slightly burned. After they finished, she led them to the kitchen where miraculously they washed their own plates. Martha taught them well. She mused as silence permeated the place. Asuka felt compelled to find her other brethren, the fact that her bird had yet to return worried her as well. Could the girl be so powerful? She wondered, remembering the bird parting words.

Her brood blindly followed behind her. Asuka absently searched for Rei first. Her sanctuary happened to be public and depressing. She passed the worshiping altar of each respective god until she reached hers. Kneeling, she performed a silent prayer in hopes of making contact. The children stood awkwardly around her, unsure of what to do. Their eyes trailed to the massive stone carving of Aslla Piscu. They resisted the urge to climb all over it. Crow especially saw potential places to grab onto and climb up. Jack had served as Martha's right-hand man long enough to know when someone was praying. Jack knelt down as he had been taught, asking help on a number of things spanning from his new mom's safety to learning to navigate the castle. Yusei and Crow upon seeing both their mom and brother pray, at least pretended to. Generally, what Crow had gotten from Martha's explanation was that you asked for something and sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't. Never had he gotten the candy he asked for, but he narrowly escaped getting caught by security, time and time again. Yusei didn't really get why they were all kneeling, but Asuka seemed pleased by their cooperation. Standing, she signaled to the others to get up. Disappointed by the lack of response, the humming bird's vessel sighed and ventured to the corner of the large room. In that corner, the rainbow dragon's statue stood in the center of the pond as the seven crystal beasts encircled it. The dragon and crystal beasts had authentic jeweled insets and gold trimmings. No expense was sparred if only to make Rei happy. Currently, she sat below the dragon, and as always, the jewels glowed from her mystical presence. Rei even claimed that she sensed Johan when she came here. The brunet had quickly retracted the statement when Asuka showed signs of concern. The dark signer rested in a state of utter exhaustion, completely drenched from a dip in the pond. Her friend sensed her and smiled.

"Do I have to babysit?" She quipped. Asuka shook her head. The three peered at the girl with mild apprehension. Crow and Jack remembered her firm grip well. They didn't want to get caught again. Yusei wandered over to check out why the gems shone as his curiosity got the better of him. Rei grabbed him by the scruff of his jacket. He squirmed, almost slipping out of the sleeves. Properly placing him beside her, she pressed her hand against one of the stones. The energy concentrated forming a thin rainbow mist.

"Whom do you want to see right now?" She asked him. Yusei immediately thought of Martha. Staring in amazement, he could see Martha doing laundry along with a few of their former playmates.

"Show off," Asuka huffed good naturedly. Rei waved away the image and leaned back. Yusei tugged at her sleeve as a signal that he wasn't done looking. Ignoring the request, she remarked off handedly.

"You don't cry anymore, what a relief," Rei stretched, perfectly comfortable on the stone. Yusei tilted his head in confusion. As far as he knew, Martha always praised him for being quiet. Asuka frowned noting Rei's diminished abilities. Last night had taken its toll. She'd only kept the image up for a few seconds.

"What happened?" Asuka asked. Cusillu's partner yawned.

"What happened to you?" She countered and pointed to her chest. Asuka looked away. She hadn't wanted last night to come up again.

"Crimson Dragon," Asuka stated. Rei mulled over the information.

"Could have been worse, we used up a lot of energy restraining it. You're lucky the blast wasn't completely focused on you." Rei explained and subconsciously held her arm that still tingled from the encounter. Her companion hesitated to continue but thought better of it.

"The girl as you know has psychic abilities, and we accidentally triggered them early. That's where the unexpected damage control came in. You may have to meet with the parents sooner than expected to weasel her into your custody."Rei confessed really quickly. Asuka cursed silently. She'd barely acquired the boys and was counting on having a few years with them before diverting her attention to the rampant psychic.

Crow and Jack looked at each other. A girl with powers? How strange, the girls they knew ran away from icky slimy things. They never wanted to wrestle, and Martha didn't want the girls to for that matter. The girls also always got a way with a ton more stuff. As far as they were concerned, girls weren't any fun.

"I take it that Aslla Piscu is performing a bit of divine intervention then. No problem, the parents will be looking for a way out. That and I can actually teach her. Win, win for everybody," Asuka suggested. Yusei, meanwhile, grew frustrated that he couldn't figure out how Rei did her trick and waded out of the pond to meet up with his brothers instead.

"Well, look who's back." Jack welcomed his soaked brother. Crow leaned over to Jack and whispered.

"Should we tell him?" Crow questioned. Jack stroked his chin for a while before answering.

"Yes," Jack decided finally. Crow swung his arm around Yusei and made him come closer. Yusei waited in anticipation. The red head took a deliberate dramatic pause before speaking.

"Mom's adopting a girl," Crow revealed as if an atrocious scandal was about to occur. Yusei scratched his head.

"And?" Yusei inquired dubiously. Jack and Crow's jaw dropped. Sure, he was a little bit of an odd ball, but he must know why a girl was bad news.

"They're evil," Jack exclaimed. The conversation was missed by the dark signers who were making arrangements for the soon to be new arrival. Yusei shook his head and said.

"No," He watched as they both gasped in horror.

"Why do you think they're good?" Crow implored, not seeing the appeal.

"We played tea time, and they gave me cookies," Yusei piped up cheerfully. Their eyes widen in realization. They had been invited to the very girly tea time several times.

"There were cookies," Both of them shouted in dismay. Yusei nodded, but the conversation ended abruptly.

"Boys, mommy has to deal with a few things so Rei is going to take you to the toy room," She announced. At the mention of a toy room, they eagerly followed Rei. Her steps were more careful and slow as her weakened powers showed signs of instability. She had bumped into a wall or two in the morning, and Rei was determined not to make the same mistake again. Asuka watched them go. The immortal returned to the depths of her mind showing no signs of strain. Sour, the bird grumbled unhappily.

_The girl's powers are connected to her state of mind. I handled the matter as delicately as I could. Unfortunately, I had to resort to putting her in a coma. The doctor will refer them to you when she awakens tomorrow. It is up to you to convince them after that. _ The bird decided, retreating to the back of her mind. Asuka planned accordingly. The destructive little girl would have to be introduced gradually to her new surroundings. Asuka's body could handle any accidents along the way so the only real challenge was keeping her charges away from her for now.

The immortal had nothing else to say to her, but went ahead and healed the gaping mass of burned flesh. Slipping to the floor, she breathed in and out as a cold as deep as the tundra's permeated through her. Bits of the dragon's aura that interlaced her wound were dispelled, clearing her mind from its intrusive presence. Humming in contentment, the dark signer waited for the process to finish. Smooth as marble, and flawless, she caressed the newly reformed skin fondly. The blond opted to check how the boys liked their presents. The double doors were wide open revealing the once neatly stacked toys all scattered on the floor. Rei sat in the center of the mess casually observing their dim outlines induce chaos. Asuka stood by the door way and watched the show from afar. Jack and Yusei raced their bikes on the makeshift track created by pushing away the mass of toys. When Yusei failed to keep up on his tricycle and grew tired, Jack would spur him on with taunts. Yusei would then once again go as fast as his little legs could carry him. Asuka smiled at the already forming pattern.

Crow continually sampled the selection. He'd play with the giant ball for a while and then switch to the Etch E Sketch. A pogo stick to a golf club, a video game to an action figure, a net to a small guitar, finally, he discovered the immortal stuffed animals. The cartoonish quality attracted him and he began telling elaborate stories centering them. When he grew bored, he either killed them off or played elsewhere. Aware of her presence, Rei stood.

"As lovely as this was, I need rest. You can handle yourself from here?" Rei prompted, half way out the door. Practically in tip top shape, she nodded. Rei left, most likely to her adored sanctuary. Aware of her presence, the children abandoned their playthings and ran over to her.

"Thank you mommy, I like my bike" Yusei said and gave her a hug. Jack and Crow sat beside her. All drawn to her company like children to an ice cream truck.

"You feeling better?" Jack asked. Her face had a hard edge to it, the expression unchanging, varying at most with an occasional blink that hadn't been present when he cared for her. Crow had both the Aslla Piscu and Wiraqocha Rasca plush in his hand and was having them fly around. Yusei sat on her lap and drew on the etch e sketch. Both turned their attention to her with wide eyes and thin frowns.

"Yes, all healed, I have certain advantages that you don't," Asuka explained which undid the creeping uneasiness. Returning to matters of play, they leaned on her like if she were a favorie pillow.

"Good," Jack replied as he began work on deck construction. The quiet continued until Manjoume walked in. The tots stared as they had only glimpsed him once or twice. He ignored the onlookers and turned his attention to Asuka.

"Who's that?" Yusei asked her.

"Jun," Asuka remarked with an arrogant smirk. Manjoume narrowed his eyes.

"That's Manjoume to you kids," He corrected, but Yusei already lost interest.

"Jun," He said calmly. Uru's host let out an annoyed grunt.

_What an impudent boy_, Uru complained. Manjoume rolled his eyes.

I'm not going to do anything to him. He interjected but the god twisted his words as he tended to do.

_So, you've thought about it. _Shaking his head, he tuned the god out. He needed to speak to her. That little girl spelled trouble, and the sooner she knew about the new developments the better.

"You hear about the girl?" Jun inquired, and she nodded passively. His mission complete before he even started, he couldn't help but detest how her pallid supple features froze into a hard stare.

"Is that it?" Asuka demanded, stroking Yusei's hair. Truthfully, Jun had ulterior motives for coming. He gazed at the three huddled around her, each occupied doing a solitary activity. Yet, if he could only squeeze in, he just knew Asuka would realize what he'd failed to show her each time he proffessed to the heavens. I want the same things you want.

"I wanted to see the new arrivals," Manjoume stated. She waved her hand and presented them.

"This is Crow, Yusei and Jack. You can go now," She dismissed him briskly. Jun stood his ground. He bent down to meet their eyes, and Crow and Yusei noticibly pressed themselves closer to Asuka. Jack flipped over a card as he tested his new recipe. Why should he let the man bother him? His mother destroyed an entire god.

"Can I play?" Manjoume asked them. They were intent to keep playing by themselves, and waited for Asuka's input. Asuka grew steadily more irritated. The nerve of that man to use them for his own benefit.

"You don't have to. Jun, I explained how things were going to be already," Asuka annunciated curtly. The dark signer shrugged knowing that pushing her accomplished nothing.

"I'll see you all around. Remember Asuka, I'll be here if you need me," He promised, and she groaned in annoyance. The attempt was as blatant as if he had told them to call him father. Crow watched him walk out, and asked.

"Is he good? You don't seem to like him," Crow noticed, wondering how to approach him next time he came around. No adult ever asked to play. They just liked to boss him around or sometimes help him. Asuka bit her lip. She didn't distrust him or dislike him even. Sometimes, she just really wanted him to go far far away. Whether it was simply remnant her past life or the instinct to avoid a rival god, she didn't know. Hypothetically, Uru could have easily overthrown her if Manjoume had shown interest in the idea. Deep down, she owed him for his unwavering loyalty. So just this once, she'd cut him some slack.

"He's alright. Just be careful, he can trick you if he wants," She determined as she glanced at the empty doorway. They agreed silently.

"Mommy, when's the girl getting here?" Yusei wondered. His two brothers put a hand to their face. They weren't supposed to be privy to it yet. The humming bird's partner humored him.

" A rose blooms in the morning Yusei. We have to wait," Asuka declared, and Yusei drew a little rose on the etch e sketch.


	8. Inheritance

Inheritance

Asuka couldn't really say why holding four holographic cards made her nervous. When she only had three out of the four dragons, she hadn't even noticed their aura. It seemed together their strength intensified and made her ill. She needed to get rid of them, keeping them on hand was no longer practical.

She hated to have to deal with it today of all days. For one, she needed to bring Aki in today. The sooner she met with the fretful parents the better. The longer she took to get to them, the more time they would have to think things through, and she would prefer to have full custody of her right away than drag it out much longer. She had been in the midst of preparing her room when Rei brought her Ancient Fairy Dragon. Ruka's parents had been reluctant to let the card go, most likely spurred by the card itself. Rei had used a few of her own tricks to bring them around, and being a proud little witch, she had brought her prize straight to Asuka.

She heard the light obligatory knock, only Fubuki and her children dared to do that. Perhaps, the problem would fix itself after all.

"Come in," Asuka said. Fubuki opened the door, whistling some ancient pop song that no one knew anymore.

She contemplated her brother's circumstance. He wasn't completely under the condor's control. The dragons might take more kindly to him than any of the others, especially after the condor had left him so frail.

"Fubuki, I have a surprise for you," she said. He grinned as he always did, ever the hospitable host. His cane clicked down on the floor. He was hunched over, even when he straightened. His posture had seen better days. Despite having his full head of hair and youthful body, he looked so old to her. Too late, did she see the reason for her brother's smile. The boy had followed him inside.

"Can I see the surprise?" Yusei asked. She was caught red handed with all of the Signer dragons.

"Yeah, can he?" Fubuki added, knowing full well she wouldn't. She crouched down to look him in the eye, and wore that smile that guilty mothers wore.

"Yusei if you wait outside while we talk, I'll give you something from my room," Asuka offered. He didn't move. She sighed. He could be stubborn, and the sudden change threw her sometimes.

"Will it be better than the surprise?" he asked. Fubuki had salvaged enough of her things for her to make that promise.

"Yes, now run along and play with your brothers, I'll call you," she said. Yusei nodded and walked out of the room. She continued since Yusei wasn't one to pry. Now if Crow had come in with Fubuki, she didn't want to think about how much harder he would have been to bribe.

"Here take them. They'll chew everyone else's hands off," she said. Fubuki accepted the cards and examined them.

"How thoughtful," Fubuki remarked dryly. The cards glowed slightly. She didn't see any visible changes which made her all the more paranoid. He could force a smile better than anyone she ever knew.

"You all right?" Asuka asked.

"Yes, random mystical objects glow all the time," he said. He put them in the front pocket of his shirt, extremely close to his heart, a horrible idea. He straightened, and for once, she had to look up at him.

"But," she interjected. He raised a hand to shush her.

"Now, I'll get out of your way so you can bribe the kid," Fubuki said. She looked around, trying to remember if she had anything she didn't want him to have.

She stuffed the family albums into the closet and hid Judai's picture in her underwear drawer. Fubuki, who stayed to watch the sudden scramble, made a clucking sound.

"Cheating are you?" he asked. She shut the drawer quickly. A pang of energy went through her in lieu of any sort of heat.

"Hey, if he still finds them, he can have one," she insisted.

"It's okay. I understand there are things you don't want to forget," Fubuki said as he turned around. He used the cane sparingly as he walked out. Something which both made her both ache and smile.

His words didn't have any truth to it. As much as she tried to not dwell on the past, she didn't think she'd forget without the photos. Her god wouldn't do that, not after he did so much to keep her loyalty.

" I don't need the pictures, Fubuki," she said.

"Tell it to your underwear drawer," he said and shut the door. She kicked the closed door. She continued to glare at the absent figure until the door opened again. Yusei hovered in the hallway upon seeing the glare. She immediately switched to a more welcoming disposition.

Yusei smiled in return and walked passed her. Instead of going to the closet like she expected, he crawled under the bed and dragged out a wooden box. She couldn't place the object.

"What's that?" she asked. There was a chance it wasn't hers. Crow wouldn't forgive her if she accidentally gave away part of his new hoard.

"I found it a while ago in the closet," he said. So, it must be hers, something forgotten in the last hundred years. She knelt down to get a better look at the box.

The artistry of the wooden box impressed her. The symbols on it looked familiar like a distant dream. The sun and the moon were on the top corners, and in the center, the high priestess stood looking straight at her with an elegant smirk. She stared into the little black dots for a good while. She remembered meeting eyes with this figure many times before. The wheel of fortune behind was her was reversed. Misfortune, she recalled uneasily. The star above her disturbed her most of all. A coincidence at most, she put a hand over the box. She felt nothing and relaxed.

She hadn't thought of the Society of Light in a long time. It didn't help that the fool and the hanged man were below her, a tribute to another lifetime. Yusei opened the box and took out the deck spreading the cards out on the bed. The familiar ice and water creatures made her skin crawl. She should burn them, regardless of their diminished power.

"Pick something else," she said. He held up ice queen. She cursed silently, including some foreign words she had picked up from Ryo.

"Why?" he asked.

"I did bad things with those cards," she said. He stacked the cards together, being careful not to miss any.

"Then, I'll do good things with them. Everyone deserves a second chance," Yusei said. She wavered. They were collecting dust.

"Fine, you can have them," she said. He gave her a brief if firm hug.

"Thank you, mommy," he said, running off before she could say anything else.

"Bye," she said. He could have claimed them the moment he saw them, what a clever patient boy. Left alone with the box, She considered her past discrepancies. Could she really tell him she was any better now?

_My, you've gotten nostalgic._ _Such things are best forgotten. _Piscu interjected. She flinched and for a moment showed signs of pushing the spirit away. An unfamiliar warmth filled her, not unlike an over the counter drug, she slid onto the bed drowsily.

Hello. She practically hummed. She could almost detect the bird's reluctance to mention the other power. Perhaps, so she wouldn't seem like used goods.

_The girl_, the bird said. She hadn't forgotten.

I know it's time for me to go. She got up and proceeded to change into clothes she disliked including a tattered cloak which she had meant to throw out. Asuka walked out briskly.

"So, she just gave you that," Jack said, crossing his arms while pretending not to care in the slightest. He already had good cards. Yusei began to mix his new cards with his old ones.

"Yup," he said.

Really, he didn't care. Technically, she had already given them plenty of cards. They just weren't hers, per say.

"They're real pretty. Never seen cards like that before," Crow offered. Jack scowled. Rare cards didn't always translate into useful cards.

"Yeah, Yusei has really pretty cards," Jack said. Yusei didn't look up.

"Thanks," he said which made Jack scowl all the more. He walked out of the room and slammed the door behind him. He imagined the cards flying everywhere, and it cooled him down a little.

He vaguely remembered where Ryo's room was and continued down the narrow hallways in hopes of finding it. Opening and slamming doors in the process, the whole thing took forever.

"What's wrong with you, boy?" Ryo said finally after the hundredth something door. He could have said it. He could be just as articulate as Martha always praised Yusei for being. But . . .

"Nothing," he said and slammed the door. He planned his escape. How bad could the desert be? He didn't get that far. He felt himself lifted as the fabric grew tighter along his waist.

" It's very impolite to slam people's doors," he said. Jack closed his eyes and expected the worst. He watched as he passed several different stone blocks. He was thrown onto the bed. He instinctively turned around so his back wasn't exposed.

"Again, what's a matter with you?" Ryo asked. Jack grumbled unintelligibly.

"Sorry, I don't speak kid," he said, sitting next to him. Jack cleared his throat. He knew very well the sort of things that bother him but did he want Ryo to know? He didn't seem like a tattle tale.

"Mom gave Yusei a deck," he said. This seemed to confuse the man.

"And? He gave you a paper cut or something?" Ryo asked.

"No," Jack said, unsure why he would ask such a thing.

"Then, how is it your problem?" Ryo said and took his cup of tea from the counter.

"She didn't give me one," Jack said. Even as he said it, it sounded bad, but it was true. The baby always took priority, always.

"Is that all?" Ryo said, getting up. Jack crossed his arms, thinking the man had lost interest in his story.

Ryo took something from the top most shelf. The deck he had touched the day before, from what Ryo had told him afterwards, he did not think he'd be allowed near it anytime soon. Ryo put it in his hands.

"But," Jack started to say.

"What. You don't want it?" Ryo asked, and it didn't seem like a hostile question, almost, like he wasn't sure he would.

"It's your brothers'," Jack said. Ryo winced. Jack looked down at the cards. He always said the wrong things.

"He's dead. Besides, they seem to like you and they're bored," Ryo said. Jack opened his mouth but decided against saying anything. He nodded and stood.

"Where are you going? Play a game," Ryo said, taking out his own deck. Jack nodded again, trying this quiet thing that seemed to work for Yusei.

"What are you mute? Hurry up and draw," Ryo said. Jack grinned.

"Okay," he said and sat down.

"I'm so glad you could come," Aki's mother said. The teary-eyed adoration baffled Asuka. She had expected scrutiny and a level of arrogance from the rumors she had heard, especially with how she had chosen to dress. The father was nowhere in sight.

"Where is the rest of you family?" she said. Misses Izayoi dabbed her eyes dry, before hugging her. Asuka stiffened but made no effort to remove herself from the distraught female.

"It's simply awful. She refuses to let anyone in and he's," Izayoi trailed off.

"And what do you expect me to do about it," Asuka asked, slowly pushing the mother away. For a moment, the mother stood there clutching her purse. Then, Izayoi looked around as if she were about to speak of something forbidden. She leaned in and whispered into Asuka's ear.

"The doctor told me you were special, like her," And just like that, Asuka found her opening. She wrapped her arm around her and used her hand to cover her semi whisper.

"My dear, I'm one of the best, but I'm afraid I can't fix her in one day," Asuka said, withdrawing her arm. She looked out the window and felt the woman cling to the robe. The fabric tore slightly. It didn't matter.

"If . . . If we paid you, could you teach her . . . could you teach her to control it?" she said. Asuka did not turn around. She let out an exaggerated sigh for the woman's benefit.

"I could, but even then, she would be unlikely to readjust," she said. She could hear the woman scrambling for her checkbook.

"We need you to try, for her sake. Is this enough per week?" the woman asked. She glanced at the amount. With Edo's bank account, she was in no need of money, but the amount was nothing to scoff at.

"It is very generous, but I am concerned for the child's safety. She must stay with me permanently, if you want her to survive," Asuka said.

With this, the mother showed signs of hesitation. The woman put the checkbook away and placed her hands in her lap. She bit her lip as her eyes lingered on a mother holding her child.

"Can she stay in the city? I also heard you live far away. That you shouldn't be here," she said, whispering the last part. Asuka tensed at the last part. The last thing she wanted was to deal with the police.

A thick vine smashed through the window from the floor above, heading straight toward the mother. Asuka stood, placing herself directly in front of Miss Izayoi. The plant stopped a few feet from her. She waited in case it struck, before answering.

"No," Asuka said. Aslla Piscu shielded them, the orange aura invisible to the woman beside her. The vine pulled away instinctively. Danger here. In any case, it added to her credibility.

"Now, take me to her," Asuka said. The mother wasted no time in getting away from the broken glass and fallen leaves.

The ride up the elevator stretched on forever. The women half-sobbed while she attempted not to. The attack had shaken what little confidence the women seemed to posses but finally she spoke.

"You want her," she said.

The loss that she prepared to take could no be measured by material goods. Music would not make the house less empty. The weight of gold on her neck would not replace her child's fingers firmly holding her hand. Asuka understood her completely. So against all of Asuka's natural inclinations, she gave the woman a hug. Izayoi clung to her again this time completely ripping the sleeves of the robe.

"I'm so sorry. I'll get you a new one," she said, holding the torn pieces up.

"You don't have to," she said. I'm taking your daughter away.

"I insist," Izayoi said. The elevator opened. They walked out and Izayoi took her hand.

"Down this hallway, the room in the corner," Izayoi instructed. The child had not infiltrated the hallway yet. The place showed no signs of the chaos inside that room. The nurses quickly passed the room, careful to show no signs of the unrest inside. Miss Izayoi stayed near the elevator. Asuka walked toward the father who chose to remain against the back wall opposite his daughter's room. He frowned as if he had been carved that way. He held his bandaged arm. His eyes red and wet. He turned his head to acknowledge her.

"Are you the girl?" he asked. She stopped suddenly. No one had called her that for a while now.

"Yes," she decided.

"Could you help her?" he said, and the small light in his eyes when she appeared made her want to throw up. The guilt gnawed at her.

_Focus_, the bird said.

Yes, I know. She did not answer the man and went inside.

Immediately, the vines from before attacked now that she came into Aki's territory. The vines squeezed her, and even as she pulled the plant off, she felt nothing but a small irritation around her throat. She continued to tear at the vines until she could see the rose bud they came from. The small girl on the hospital bed noticed and slapped another card down on her duel disk. A fiery plant rose from the ground. Its giant eye leered at her.

The fire plant's limbs surrounded her, and the fabric began to burn off. She hated the idea of having to shop for a dress with Miss Izayoi, but she didn't see a need to make the girl panic by summoning her own monsters. She started to walk toward the girl who began to tremble, her eyes becoming wide at the lack of effect the plant had. She slammed another card down. A rose garden appeared, and vines wrapped around her. She didn't think to dodge them. These seemed to actually affect her. She grew weak in the knees and combined with the two other plants' grips, small cracks appeared all around her person. She miscalculated, and she struggled to release herself from the plant's grip. The girl smiled, an abnormal smile. The kind she had seen Ryo wear. She hated that smile.

This incited Aslla Piscu's interference. The creature grew restless. Winds blew around the room extinguishing the fire. Asuka could feel the rush of energy overwhelm her, almost to the point of exhaustion. She became light headed and dizzy as she saw flashes of the god's memory. It's patience with the girl had dissipated. She felt a pang, and for once, she grew alarmed, both for herself and the girl. The god had never attempted to invade her consciousness completely. She tried to fight him for control as she could not protect the girl from his wrath otherwise. However, he had resided in her much too long for the struggle to be affective. To defeat him completely would mean death, and she could not push him away indefinitely. Blackness appeared in the corners of her vision as the struggle took its toll.

_Sleep. I will be handling this one, my dear. _She had to force her eyes to stay open as they continually fluttered close.

_Trust me._ She tried desperately to recall why she shouldn't, but she could picture nothing. She blacked out.

"Thank goodness you're both all right," Izayoi proclaimed. Asuka opened her eyes.

"What?" she mumbled. Suddenly aware she held something, her hands shook at the weight. Hideo took Aki from her. The girl slept, and Asuka noticed no signs of harm come to her until . . . She saw her arm, Aslla Piscu's mark.

Is she dead? She barely registered the bird's presence, but it finally spoke.

_No, she is mine. I am quite capable of possessing a live body if I wish._ Asuka tried to understand its reasons but failed.

Why? She's just a little girl. Do you plan to replace me with her? A small bit of mistrust had surfaced, she felt like a plaything after her possession, and the god had just picked out another toy.

_As hard as it might be to believe, I like peace and quiet, and it would be impossible to shut her up otherwise. I would not replace you with a whelp such as her. Do not think so little of me. Have I not earned your faith? _The god demanded. Asuka let herself fall to the ground.

Of course you have, I have almost everything I ever wanted. She faintly heard an echo deep inside.

Do you really? She couldn't place where she heard that before. She grunted in pain when her god made efforts to restore her body. The strange echo forgotten, she remained curled up on the floor. She must look incompetent, naked and weak this way. Hideo placed a blanket on her. Miss Izayoi placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I'll get you some clothes," Izayoi announced. She walked out, her heels clicking and clacking. Hideo sat on the bed holding his daughter.

"You can help her?" he asked, staring at Aki.

You still believe that, even now. Careful to keep the sheet on her, Asuka sat up to face him.

"Yes, I can. You're the only one who can stop me," she said. Hideo stroked his daughter's hair with his thumb.

"Why would I do that?" he said.

"Because, you'd rather keep her, but she'll never be happy with you," Asuka said, standing in order to feel less weak. Unsteady for a moment, she leaned against the wall before regaining her balance.

He wanted to disagree. She could see it in his narrowed eyes, and the fierce grip he had on Aki. But then, Aki awoke. She tried to leave her father's side, tears in her eyes.

"No papa, no," she said. Hideo kept his grip on her.

"Why Aki? It's okay." Hideo said, patting her back. She shook her head.

"I'm a monster," she said. Hideo's mouth hung open.

"Papa said so," she said, looking at him. He didn't deny it.

"Because it's true," she shouted.

"Aki," he said. Aki waited, and the expectation rivaled that of any kid before opening a birthday present. Asuka dared to get between them, before the matter was settled. She lifted the girl up. She expected resistance, but one look at Aki and she could see the girl knew better after last time.

"So Hideo, I'm giving you the choice," she said, hoping her assumptions about this man proved correct.

"Take her," he said. So, he didn't want to handle the mess then. Aki's face fell.

"Papa?" she said. Hideo stood and faced the window. Aki scrambled to escape. Asuka held onto her.

"Why Papa? Why? I'll be good. Let me stay," Aki pleaded. Hideo wouldn't look at her. Izayoi came in with a dress. Robes didn't exactly come stocked where she shopped. Asuka handed Aki to Izayoi while she put on the dress. The girl calmed down and glared at Hideo. She slipped the fabric on easily.

"I'll be taking her now," Asuka said.

"Already?" Izayoi said, stroking Aki's hair.

"Papa doesn't want me," Aki said. Izayoi cradled her child.

"Oh dear, that's not true. We just want you to get better," Izayoi said.

"I'm fine," Aki muttered. Izayoi sighed, taking a piece of greenery from her hair.

"No, you're not," Izayoi said. Aki encircled her mom's neck. Izayoi's eyes watered again.

"I'll need you to sign this," Asuka said, wanting the adoption process over with before they changed their minds. Asuka considered herself lucky that they hadn't noticed the tattoo. Izayoi finally realized that was her intent all along.

"You'll have time for her?" Izayoi asked. Her husband winced. She gave them the form and took Aki. She didn't struggle this time.

"All the time in the world," Asuka said. They both signed, and she pictured Mr. Fudo's face. Izayoi handed her the note.

"Can we visit?" Hideo asked. She'd been afraid of that question.

"It's best that you didn't," Asuka answered. Before she walked out, she nudged Aki who rested her head on Asuka's shoulder.

"Say bye," Asuka said. Aki shook her head. Hideo's and Izayoi's heart might as well have been torn out. Asuka closed the door behind her awkwardly.

Aki remained quiet and still during the trip back. She didn't even question her when they crossed the fence to Satellite.

"Where do you think were going," Asuka asked, once they were in Ryo's Jaguar. Aki stared at the endless horizon of sand.

"Where bad kids go," Aki said. Asuka stopped the car.

"You're not a bad kid, and you do need help," Asuka said. Aki crossed her arms.

"If I don't use a duel disk, I'm fine," Aki insisted. Asuka put her hands on her hips, and it made her look ten years older, but she went with it.

"Oh really?" she asked.

"Uhuh,' Aki said with her nose upturned. Asuka started the car again and headed toward the junk yard at full speed. Aki clung to the seat, digging into the leather with her nails. Ryo wouldn't be happy about that.

"What are you doing?" Aki shouted. Asuka said nothing. Aki looked at the sharp pieces of metal coming closer and closer. She shut her eyes. The car came to a screeching halt. Asuka checked behind her. Sure enough, Rose tentacles held the car in place.

"Thank you," she told the monster. It blushed before disappearing. Asuka sat down properly again.

"So, you have a point. But papa and mamma abandoned me, why?" she said. Asuka turned off the car. She took the seatbelt off Aki and carried her out of the car.

"Don't worry about it. I'm your mamma now," Asuka said. She didn't show resistance to the idea, at first. She just cried on Asuka's shoulder, drained from the ordeal. She ran out of tears and lay limp. Then, the girl's mood shifted suddenly. She had that smile again.

"How can you be my mamma? Where is pappa then?" Aki demanded. This question stumped Asuka. She could lie easily. There were four guys living in the castle with her, but she simply refused to answer in case it gave one in particular any ideas. Aki shut her eyes. The flower garden sprouted from the ground. Asuka scrambled to get away from it. The god had shown restraint after its initial intervention. She worried this might provoke him again. She realized that her deck had been burned to cinders with everything else. The thought bothered her momentarily before she tripped on the stupid dress.

The vines caught her. She could see Rose Tentacle's shadow. The thing crushed her with its leafy limbs. She heard a large crack coming from her middle and cried out from the pain that followed. Aki followed with a wail of her own. This of all things stirred the bird.

_I'll teach her some manners. By the end of it, she won't speak at all. _The bird vowed.

"It's Judai. He's your father," She said, and she immediately regretted it after. He wasn't even there.

"What?" Aki said. The creature disappeared as Aki lost concentration. She told her so, and it was too late to unsay it.

_What? _The bird hadn't expected such a thing. It didn't completely make sense to her either.

Later, I need to calm her down. She walked over to the girl who simply cried now.

"Please stop crying," she said. She rubbed her eyes and embraced her.

"Yes mamma," she said. Asuka put her back in the passenger's seat.

"When do I get to meet papa?" Aki asked. She swallowed the bile that accumulated and turned the car on. She tried not to think of what she had just done.

"Mamma?" she said. The transition had been too flawless. She wasn't really mamma. She was a dark signer who had named a guy a billion light years away as this little girls potential father. Or maybe he was . . . she shook her head. The point was that the minute she upset her again, she was getting torn up, badly. She kept one hand on the wheel and clutched her side, okay worse.

"Are you okay mamma?" Aki asked. Asuka nodded. The castle came into view.

_So easy, all you had to do was lie. I'm so proud of you._ Aslla Piscu said. The cool sensation began to heal her. She took deep breaths. She kept a steady position on the gas pedal. The temptation to slam into the castle wall and end this almost overtook her.

_You do realize I can't summon him right now, right? And even then, the kid would be disappointed, no one is that much of a saint, not even your precious dum dum. _ She stopped the car.

"Sweety, go inside and wait for me. I need a little time to myself," Asuka said. Aki looked down.

" You don't need to go to the hospital?" Aki asked. Asuka gave her some credit for being unsure. She had seen Asuka on fire with no flesh burning off.

"Yes, I have something a bit better than doctors," Asuka said. Aki peered up at her.

"What?" Aki asked. Asuka closed her eyes for a few seconds. It would take another few minutes at least.

"Black magic. Mommy will go into detail later," she promised. Aki opened the door and ran inside. Asuka wasn't sure what to make of that response so she shut her eyes again.

So, why not now? She would have like to see him, after such a stressful day. She could use the cheering up, and she had waited such a long time.

_I'm on a schedule. By the way, you're stuck here for at least another hour. _ She groaned. Word might spread before she had a chance to defend herself. Ten minutes later, Aki came out.

"Which one is daddy? There are so many of them," Aki asked. Asuka laughed because it described the situation so perfectly. Everyone noticed her, except Judai. Everyone was here, except Judai, kind of.

"No one in there, you won't see him for a really long time. He's an entire universe away," Asuka finally explained.

"Oh," Aki said. She looked down at her shoes with the little plastic roses.

"So, you're not going to try to kill me?" Asuka asked. Aki shook her head furiously.

"Why?" she asked.

"Because you want me," Aki said. Asuka stared up at the sky.

"Have you ever wanted to be an angel?" she asked. The girl couldn't reach the open space where the window usually was and stood on her tippy toes to look at Asuka.

"Yeah," she said.

"I think I can manage to extort the Lightsworns from Rei, then," Asuka said, mostly to herself. Aki continued to stare at Asuka with the same look of adoration her mother had given her before.

"Come in," Asuka said finally. Aki ran to the other side of the car, opened the door and climbed in. She expected her to lose interest, but Aki's attention went to her hair. She ended up with several loose braids. All in all, the day could have been worse.

_Your relationship is built on a lie. _Aslla Piscu reminded her, not really out of concern, mostly, to taunt her.

Shut up. She told the bird groggily. Any other time she would have thought twice about cursing at him. Today, she had lost her deck, some of her trust in the bird, and a little bit of her integrity.

_Now, it will take two hours._ Asuka closed her eyes and decided she was the one who needed to shut up.


	9. Snack Time

Snack Time

Yusei lay awake. Beside him, Jack snored. On the floor, Crow had shoved his head deep into his pillow. He wanted to sleep, but the boy just couldn't help himself. Asuka hadn't come back yet. Yusei decided that Jack might have been right about little girls being scary. If his mom couldn't handle her, he didn't want to end up alone with her.

Now, Yusei knew he should wait. He found Jack usually returned his things when he stole them, or that Crow would return after a trip alone with no more than a scratch or two. So, he continued to stare at the ceiling, but he could not see what Crow found so fascinating about it. Yusei began to feel thirsty which left him in a bit of a predicament. Rei had told them not to get out of bed unless it was absolutely necessary. Still, Yusei wanted milk, specifically some warm milk. Maybe a cookie if he could find one. So, he decided that it counted as one and got up.

Two days and Yusei still wasn't used to living in the castle. Overall, he didn't like the vast space. Outside the living room, the orphanage had about five rooms all visible when one entered. Here, he could turn one direction and easily second guess himself into being lost. He missed knowing exactly where he was all the time, now, even getting his night time snacks turned into a hassle. They always left the windows open. He doubted these zombie people noticed how cold it could get outside, and they were inviting sand monsters in, just like that. When the sand outside would come in ,Yusei would hide under the curtains. So far, he had avoided running into one.

One of the doors creaked, and he didn't have the nerve to check for his mom or some less friendly monster. He walked faster, bumping into a statue. Something about the way they stood and leered at him made him squeak. He ran nonsensically down the spiral staircase. When he reached the next hallway, he turned right at the corner and continued turning right each time he stumbled onto another statue. Finally, he heard muttering, actually, several mutters. The adults were doing something? Gently pulling the door open, he peeked. The room's size compared to the local landfill where he used to play. He hadn't been in there yet. He saw a couple of the adults. He could not recognize them all that well from the identical robes they wore. It didn't help that he had only met each of them briefly. Yusei could have kept going, but he hadn't ever seen so many adults in a room together before, curiosity got the better of him.

"You said Z-one, take a drink," The robed man insisted. His hood fell when he leaned back on the sofa. It was the green eyed man that yelled at him the day before.

They were all sitting on one of two couches. The table between the two couches had a pitcher of apple juice. They each had a mug. The robed figure across from Ryo smiled. He recognized the black and orange cloak his mother wore.

"I must admit this is a great way to celebrate, Ccarayhua," she said. Yusei didn't recognize that last word. He didn't think it would be in the dictionary.

"Mommy?" he couldn't be sure. She didn't sound right.

She didn't smile at him like she normally would. She said some more words that he didn't recognize. Ryo snickered. The man with the fancy hat turned away and drank a big gulp. He must be thirsty.

"Yeah, mommy, take care of your kid," The hooded man beside her said. He didn't like the way the man looked his mom.

"Shut up, Uru," his mom hissed. Her eyes were glowing.

"Are you okay?" Yusei asked. Maybe, she had a sore throat. The glowing stopped immediately. She attempted to smile, but she showed too much teeth.

"Fine, now go back to bed," Asuka insisted. He hadn't gotten his milk yet.

"I'm not tired,"he said. Her fingers dug into the sofa. He frowned, and she said some more words that he didn't understand. Ryo poured more apple juice into his mom's cup.

"Oh, come on Birdy let him stay," Ryo said. She glared at him.

"We no longer have that sort of bond, Ccarayhua, please watch your tongue," she said. Ryo's grin faltered. Mommy said something mean.

"I see, only when it's convenient for your host," Ryo said. Asuka rolled her eyes.

"Careful what you say in front of the boy ," she said. Ryo put his cup down and pinched the bridge of his nose, like Martha sometimes did when dealing with Jack.

"He is two and think about how much you have sworn in the last five minutes," Ryo said. Mommy sighed.

"If he starts saying those things, I will never hear the end of it," Asuka said. Yusei climbed onto her lap. She froze like if he were a wasp or something.

"He is on me," she said. He looked at his feet. She didn't mind when he touched her before.

"I can take him back to bed," the man in the fancy hat offered. He had a cowardly face similar to Jack's when he wanted to retreat. The man beside mommy pulled down his robe. Jun, he had red eyes though. Yusei wrapped his arms around his mom's neck and looked away.

"I'll take him. We can have a little talk," Jun said. His grin sly like Crow when he cheated at cards. The eyes evaluated him like a piece of meat. Mommy seemed to know this.

"Take him, Chacu Challhua," she said. The fancy hat man almost picked him up, but Jun grabbed him by the shoulders. Yusei clung tighter. She actually held him closer. Mommy, might have been grumpy before, but Yusei could feel his heart speed up as Jun's smile grew wider. He would rather stay with his mom, sick or not.

"Nonsense, it's no trouble at all," Jun insisted, beginning to pull him. Asuka held him in place.

"I don't think so," Asuka said. Jun would not stop. Yusei shut his eyes.

"No," Yusei said, feeling warmth from somewhere. Jun screamed and said some more words, bad ones from they way his mom narrowed her eyes. He located the source of the warmth, the Crimson Dragon. He could feel water escape from his shut eyes. Not that thing again, he wished he had stayed in bed. He buried his face in his mother's neck. Asuka stood. He could feel her fingers stroking him.

"Tell him not to do that, shit," Jun said. They fell abruptly to the ground, urged on by an outside force, a spider. The red outline intruded his thoughts. He felt a jab of pain, and he instantly opened his eyes. A smell like cooked chicken nauseated him similar to when the raw pink bird was first put into the pot. He heard the faint sizzling of flesh and chills escaped him as the red eyes fixated on him. The dark pools became more prominent as the red eyes dilated and shrunk the iris. He shook as he heard his mother growl like a rabid dog. A strange emotion permeated the room, the kind that pressed against him and initiated his urge to run to the stars outside. His mother's firm hold kept him in place, providing comfort in its strength, for he could think of no safer place to be than within his mother's grasp. Jun grinned, and Yusei had seen far more appealing grins on pancakes.

"Maybe, you should do as you are told Uru," Asuka said. This caused an immediate withdrawal of said grin. Jun's hands glowed in much the same color as the Crimson Dragon's. Seconds and the red energy blast headed toward them. He held his breath, expecting his mother to execute a similar assault. His mother did nothing. She held him same as before. He shut his eyes again and prepared for the worst. The fabric from his mother's cloak soothed him; he buried into it and held it in his fists. He waited. Nothing happened. Briefly, he checked his surroundings. On the floor, he could see the ashy remains of the carpet, but they remained unharmed.

Jun took a few steps back, his eyes wide with an alien look which Yusei could not recognize. The closest he had ever seen to that look happened two days ago, and it had also involved the Crimson Dragon. Yusei stared at the red shield surrounding them. The other two instinctively drew back as well, sharing similar looks. He lowered his head. He did a bad thing again. Must he ruin everything.

He looked up to see if his mother shared in their uneasiness. With an odd smile plastered on her face, almost like a clowns in its width, she analyzed him. The eyes remained hard, much as he had seen on Jun's face. He touched her face experimentally, wishing to somehow fix whatever broke. She softened the smile, and the change satisfied Yusei. He put his hands down and rested on her shoulder. She turned her gaze to the men on the other side of the room.

"Let's go. The party's over my dear, Signer boy," his mom said. She started to rock him. He felt his eyes begin to close. Some glass broke somewhere in the room, and the fire place crackled from something someone had thrown in. Then, he heard a lot of footsteps, slowly becoming more distant. Jun swore again. His mom laughed, but it sounded like an old man. He yawned. As he drifted, he mumbled Aslla Piscu. He didn't feel warmth after that.

"So, you're the little fireballs," Edo said to no one in particular.

The two boys had yet to rise, despite the sun being high in the sky, spoiled rotten already. Edo leaned back against the door frame. The smallest especially cocooned into a ball. If he didn't wake them, his job would be much easier. Asuka had caught him in passing and hastily handed over guardianship to him for the day. She expected the little flower girl to take up most of her time indefinitely. Yes, he could see remnants of cracks caused by the little witch on her skin. Obviously, she need him and something about that reinstated a small bit of his pride. And the children, he was the only one who hadn't seen them yet. What sort of gratitude was that? He paid for everything around here, and would likely pay for their college, and he had yet to see them. They weren't much to look at truthfully. Except, Yusei's pallor concerned him, almost ghostly white. He could not in good conscious ignore it, and it was not in his nature to let the day slip past him. He walked to the king sized bed, ignoring the urge to turn around and scold Asuka for letting them remain in her bed, that was when Oedipus complexes started. He put his hand on Yusei's forehead, a little cold.

_It's strange. Kiryu would do the same thing. _The giant butted in. Edo scowled. The beast made it a point to mention him every so often. When he did, he had the strange sensation should he ever perish, some other silver haired fool would take his place.

"Wake up," he said and ripped off the sheets. Jack protested loudly with an extended groan.

"Get up, and I'll make breakfast. Jim's not the only one who can cook," Edo said and gave him a pat. Jack opened his eyes a fraction.

"Who the L are you?" Jack asked.

" The name is Edo, and trust me, do not repeat anything Ryo says in front of your mother, " Edo said, and he certainly would not let himself be blamed for that.

"What's wrong with the letter L ?" Jack asked, making his way into the closet. Edo laughed. He wondered why they were ever so afraid of a bunch of children.

"She is going to drill you hard boy," Edo could picture Jack being whacked with a ruler already. Jack came out, dressed in a miniature version of someone he had met a few times in his tournament days. Asuka could not have picked it out on purpose. Martha had made all their clothes before. She had high ambitions for her children, that one.

"What?"Jack said with a blank stare. Martha must have taught them something. Asuka had him drop off enough things for her to do so.

"You will be receiving lessons soon. Asuka is a teacher," Edo explained. Jack dismissed him with a wave of his hand.

"Yeah right, not with a girl in the house,' Jack said. Edo did not bother to comment. He would find out soon enough how stubborn Asuka could be.

He nudged Yusei who whimpered. Edo shook him harder. The boy jumped and grabbed the nearest pillow. He breathed in tiny breaths and clutched his arm. Edo paused, no dragon head in sight. He thought of the girl. Had Aslla Piscu marked him as well? The magic hidden deep beneath his skin. The idea that the bird might start to claim them, one by one, concerned him. What would it mean for the rest of them if Aslla Piscu took control of all the signers?

_I would not wait to find out._ The giant advised, and for a moment, Edo's hand hovered over the area. The dragon's head surfaced with a diminished glow briefly, nothing else. Edo sighed, and Jack stared curiously.

"Is something wrong with him?" Jack asked, putting his own hand on the boys head. The boy seemed to take offense to this. He pushed his hand away and walked over to his clothes.

"I'm not sick," Yusei said. Jack crossed his arms and humphed. Yusei stuck out his tongue, the ultimate little kid weapon. Edo noted Yusei's shaking hands. The youngest must have seen something he should not have to be so thoroughly spooked. He patted the boys head. Yusei jerked away quickly. Edo frowned. When Asuka asked him to help, Yusei had clung to her like a piece of Ivy. Jack lifted his hands up into the air.

"I don't know why I bother. Die of the plague for all I care," Jack said, slamming the door.

He decided against following the boy out. The youngest still needed to get dressed. A horrible realization struck him. Edo distinctly remembered there being three. He scrambled off the bed and looked underneath it. Yusei tugged at his shirt.

"What?" Edo asked.

"The other side," Yusei said.

Edo walked over to the other side of the bed. There he was, snoring on the floor, perfectly content. Edo lifted him, and the boy stretched.

"Hey, old man," Crow said. In his younger years, he might have been a touch offended, but it was true.

"Hey kid, I bought good mattresses for a reason," Edo said. This one made a lot more noise while rummaging through the closet.

"I fell off. Jack takes up too much space. It's like sleeping with a walrus," Crow said, coming out with a layer of dust on him. He, at least, bothered to wear the new clothes Asuka bought. Never mind, it was the exact shade of yellow as his regular clothes, not that he should talk about wearing the same thing all the time.

"There are plenty of other rooms for both of you," Edo said. They stopped a few feet from the doorway, assaulting him with their huge eyes. He had hit a touchy subject, and he regretted pushing. They all had given them good reason to stick together. They both yelled simultaneously.

"But the dragon," "Spider,"

Crow grabbed his brother by the shoulder. Yusei let himself be pulled closer. The poor boy did not look at either of them. Crow handed him some metal junk, sharp metal junk.

"Here, you like that sort of thing right? And remember, you see a spider; you squish it, or make Jack squish it. Heck, I'll squish it for you too," Crow said. Yusei nodded and gave him a tiny smile.

As touching as it was, he would not have Asuka kill him over a tiny cut. Especially when he had the experience with children and she did not. He should be the one telling her what not to do. The way she assumed everyone else did not know any better vexed him to no end.

"Okay Yusei, hand over the scrap metal. I don't want you getting cuts," Edo said. Crow muttered some almost swears he had picked up somewhere. Yusei, however, seemed willing to cooperate. He started to walk towards him, and then, he took off toward the door instead. Crow followed at a much slower pace.

"See you downstairs old man," Crow said before disappearing from sight.

Well, he had wanted them out of bed. He could not make himself angry at the two year old. For one, he had made the situation worse. Yusei instead of simply having some sharp pieces of metal was now running with them. He needed to fix this fast. He took off after him. When he turned the corner, Rei had the shiny bits of metal in her hands with Ryo a small ways away. They always seemed to be in the same room these days, but he did not wish to make further assumptions.

"Hello Rei, tell me your secret?" he asked her. She carefully wrapped the small bundle of metal with a see through cloth and put it in a box marked precious memories.

"I told him it was my birthday," Rei said. Of course, it was not, but Rei had developed a knack for lying. He did not correct her as the huge crack of her face showed that she had enough of a rough morning.

"The little flower girl gave you trouble?" he asked. She picked up a feather from the box, twirling it with a vacant expression.

"We played a little game. I lost concentration. It gave her an opening." Rei said.

"You?" Edo asked. Her skills rivaled Asuka's, to have a little girl best her bothered him.

"Me. I haven't been feeling well. Something is missing that cannot be found again," she said as her voice dropped lower with each word. Ryo put a hand on her shoulder. She pulled it off her. He put down the wash cloth he had in his other hand. Rei touched her face, feeling along the crack. The scarred area glowed yellow, and yet another marking appeared in its place.

"Excuse me boys, I will be going to the spirit world a while for some quiet," she said. This did not make sense to him. Half his deck had been spirits, and they rarely shut up.

"I would imagine that it would be full of noise," he said. She smiled as she walked passed them.

"Not anymore," she said. He had to check. Inside his pocket, he put a hand over his deck. He could sense them stir, before receiving a small shock of rejection. How thoughtful of her to spare them, if she truly had access to where they resided.

Reassured of his former partners' vitality, he focused on the matter at hand. He had lost track of all three boys. He went to the kitchen first thinking the oldest would surely be there. There, he found Manjoume with his head flat on the table, nursing a hangover, but no signs of the boys. He turned around before Manjoume could speak to him. He should not have worried as he never once made a motion to move.

He checked the toy room after that. The place remained tidied with not one toy out of place. He checked every dark signer's room as casually as possible. He did not want to find them there, but he knew better than to trust any of them at this point. Outside of answering a few pointless questions, he accomplished nothing. So, he searched every spare room in the place which took another hour. Soon, the two choices he was left with was the desert or altar room. Checking the desert would be tedious but Asuka must be in the altar room with the girl, or so, he had gathered by process of elimination. He went into the altar room, the longer he waited to go in the more she would reprimand him for leaving her children unattended.

He did not find what he expected. Fubuki sat on Uru's alter steps looking after the children. He waved. Edo forgot sometimes that he existed. He waved back. The very frailty of his being sometimes overshadowed his exuberant presence although admittedly he had not been exuberant in quite a while. The man pointed at the children with his cane.

"Looking for them? Don't worry Asuka's scrambling to find that one too. You're even," Fubuki said.

The boys circled the girl. Aki's curled fist remained at her sides, but she glared at all of them equally. Edo did not like where the situation was heading. The girl would snap at them if they got any closer. The girl yelled something about going home. Yusei ran off suddenly. Perhaps, she was the one who spooked him earlier. Still, he had searched hours, only to have this girl shoo away one of his charges. Edo grabbed a fistful of his hair. He had just found them all. Fubuki stood.

"I'll keep an eye on him. You handle them," Fubuki said. As he hobbled away on his cane, Edo found him surprisingly agile.

Edo had the harder job in his opinion. The kids were poised to attack. Crow stood behind Jack with a stiff upper lip, and his eyes darted to her pockets often. Jack loomed over the girl, mumbling something along the lines of: this is it, stupid girl. The girl made her move and shoved Jack to the ground. The boy did not push back when he got up again if anything he looked impressed. Crow put his hand on his hips.

"That wasn't very nice," Crow said. Aki searched her pockets frantically. So, she didn't have her plants. She gave up on finding them and made sure she was taller than Crow, which required pushing some of his hair down, before replying.

"Well, I don't like people getting so close to me. It's rude. Haven't you heard of personal space?" Aki said, running down the steps of the alter. Jack lifted her up before she made it all the way down. She screamed, and Edo decided the time had come to break the three up.

"You're not heavy at all. How did you do that?" Jack asked. She stopped screaming and glared at him again.

"Because I know stuff you don't," she said with an upturned nose. This made him smirk. He dropped her on the floor. She landed on her bottom.

"Yeah right, you got lucky. A witch girl can't do nothing without cards," Jack said. Her eyes watered. Edo patted her back in an effort to calm her down, but it triggered another scream.

"Mama! Jack's being mean," she yelled out. Edo did not want Asuka riled up by all the screaming. He shushed her. She stuck out her tongue and took another breath to scream again.

"Stop, okay, don't tell on me," Jack said, waving his hand frantically. She recovered quickly with a placid smile.

"Okay," she said. Manipulative witch, Edo hoped Rei wouldn't get a hold of her, too many liars lived here.

Yusei arrived, his mother close behind him. He held his etch e sketch up high as he ran. He went right up to Aki and gave it to her. She held it and stared at the picture, a rose.

"For me?" Aki asked. Yusei nodded and gave her a hug. She wrapped her arms around him shakily. The poor girl must have been stressed. They really should have sent the cute one first. Edo's eyes went to Asuka who must have thought the worst when she heard Aki scream. Asuka also seemed to cool off when she witnessed the exchange.

"Good job Edo," she said. He appreciated it although Yusei had completely saved his ass.

"Welcome home," Yusei said. Aki sat down, holding onto Yusei much like a teddy bear. Asuka proceeded to make it a group hug, loosely hanging onto both. Jack and Crow begrudgingly squeezed in, and Fubuki came in with the milk and cookies.

**As you may have noticed, some of the future chapter's names are up on my profile. This is mostly so I don't forget titles I thought of using and is a very rough approximation. Also, the amount of chapters before the second half has increased as I realized that some more build up is needed to finish certain parts of the arc.**


	10. Rituals

Rituals

Flesh torn asunder, hair utterly frayed and cut, Asuka hobbled slowly in search of the girl. The training had started, never had Asuka felt so thoroughly drained. Of course, Asuka had not expected immediate results, but she had underestimated the effect Aki's powers would have on her. Orange flares hovered around her form like tiny willow wisps. A deep cold well washed over her as the flesh wounds healed themselves. Aki ran off during meditation again. The girl did not seem fond of peace or rather she did not know how to attain it yet.

The girl reacted violently to fire. Asuka took every precaution. She made renovations to the castle. They had electric stoves now, and they no longer had fire places. Heaters worked just as well, even if Edo complained about the cost of further electrical wiring. Asuka would reintroduce her to it at her leisure. For, she must see it again at some point in her life, and Asuka tailored her deck for this purpose. She also had a pure aversion to anyone that said the word monster. Not just to her, the word itself dragged her back to that singular trauma where she had burned her dear father.

Which brought Asuka back to the mess she had created when she said Judai was her adoptive father. Aki had told everyone. The reactions had been mixed. Rei showed concern, pulling her aside and asking a number of things. Mostly, Asuka shook her head in response, she remained unconvinced when she finally let Asuka be. Edo said nothing, but the unbearably large smirk told her enough. A similar sort of scorn mixed with pity had been of Ryo's face. If she ever needed someone to talk to, he told her before retreating to his room. She both appreciated and hated the insinuation. She really didn't have any delusions. She remembered Judai's reaction to her crisply. She had hope, and here, it was a weakness. Jun had been furious. He threw things. He recounted what she said to him. He asked her why she changed her mind. She told him what she knew for sometime. She loved him. He ignored his cry afterwards, even when the spider mark burned its signature onto the living room floor. Fubuki had been thrilled. He took out all the old albums to show the kids. No more hiding things. At least, she should be glad he believed Judai alive. She had heard the whispers otherwise. Jim simply nodded in acceptance. Whenever Aki asked, he would tell her simple things about him like his love of shrimp and the color red. Sometimes more, like the few moments he shared with him. His favorite, how he had not feared, his recently departed Karen, and how he easily fed her and befriended her without a trace of fear. Asuka wasn't sure if she welcomed their compliance or not. She had no guarantee Judai would react well to the changed situation. She did not want them to get attached to the man. The stories spread of course. Crow served as the official story teller among the siblings, chronicling the events as he heard them while adding a few embellishments of his own.

She could hear giggling close by, in Rei's room. She didn't care. Wasn't it natural for a kid show favor to the dear aunt? The one who did not really need to discipline them at all. She silently looked through the crack. Vivid colors blurred together to tell a story, Asuka alone in a splendid pink gown, shedding a single tear. Rei waved her arms around, staring deeply into smoky shadows.

"And he left, not to be seen for the next few months," Rei finished, dispelling the image of a figure with a knapsack. Aki grabbed the hem of Rei's skirt. She looked down at the girl as she fixed her hair.

"Yes Aki?" she said as she took the broach out of her mouth. She pinned the white flower neatly to the side. It refracted all sorts of colors in the sunshine.

Yusei sat there as well, equally amazed, but he soon searched for the machine that did it. Rei put him back in his seat when he roamed too far. Asuka had not noticed the stacks of potions and bits of paper with cryptic writing when she last entered Rei's chambers. She ignored it. Considering Rei's dealings with spirits, she found it understandable for her to take an interest in magic far above anyone else in the group.

"Those things aren't for playing Yusei," she chided him. He still looked back at the potions and herbs with lingering interest. He did not dare to try again while Rei watched him by the looks of it. Aki pulled her skirt again.

"Well, say something Aki," Rei said. Aki fiddled with her dress, a plain one that Asuka made her wear during training. Asuka always pictured her as a tiny milk maid on such occasions and had considered getting her a bonnet. For all the pain she caused , Asuka still found her quite precious.

"Why did he leave?" she asked. Rei smoothed her skirt and put on a diplomatic countenance

"To go adventuring and help people as near as anyone one of us can tell," she explained. Aki shook her head.

"I mean the last time when he didn't come back," she said. Asuka almost went in so Rei could avoid answering the question, but part of her wanted to hear what Rei would say. Rei looked at her before speaking. Asuka wondered, how exactly this blindness of hers supposedly worked.

"Boys are clueless Aki. If you don't make them stay, they will leave you," Rei said. Aki immediately tackled Yusei down when he got up.

"But Aki, I'm hungry," he complained. She stood but took hold of his hand.

"Okay, let's go," Aki said. She started to lead, but she hadn't been in the castle very long.

"Yusei, which way is the kitchen?" she asked. They noticed their mother at the doorway. Yusei waved hello before pointing to the left.

"That way, I think," he said. Aki hid behind him. Asuka's face resembled a gargoyle in its stony linear annoyance.

"Hi, mamma," she said. There wasn't any sign of discord to Aki's appearance at all. The dark signer decided to let her go. The point of meditation was to calm her, no?

"Go ahead," she said. Aki ran to the left, pulling Yusei behind her.

"Thank you, mamma," she said on her way out. Asuka watched them leave. She could hear Rei shuffling papers as well as the clinking of beakers she moved.

"When she isn't provoked, the girl is quite darling," Rei assured her. Asuka turned around. Rei measured out bits of each substance.

"What are you doing Rei?" Asuka decided to ask. The amount she used seemed rather much for a small incantation.

" Today, happens to be opportune for a particular spell I want to try," Rei said, anticipation evident from her starlit eyes that ever so subtly cast their attention to the hexagram below.

"I trust you know what you're doing," Asuka said. Rei nodded, shuffling her cards. She took a particular one out, Rainbow Dragon. Asuka doubts grew when she saw the card, but if it happened to be something Cusillu wanted, she shouldn't interfere. She decided to leave her chambers instead of provoking a battle she wasn't prepared for.

When Asuka reached the doorway she warned her, "Remember Rei, you are free to do what you wish so long as it does not affect my children," she waited for Rei's confirmation.

"Believe me, they are not on my mind, at all" Rei said as she mixed the two powders together. They formed a deep red smoke that curled together into a heart.

What could the sign possibly mean? Perhaps, Ryo will take a sudden interest to her, more than a kind gesture or two or the group itself will not be able to say or do anything that harmed the other. The possibilities riled her. A real witch was a concern. They could do anything, even with simple words.

"I also advise you revise what you say to them," she finished curtly. When she closed the door, Asuka heard Rei laugh. It left a vile taste in her mouth. She could be completely impossible.

As she walked away, she tried not to look at the room she gave away, on Edo's insistence. It's an unhealthy attachment if you let them sleep with you, he said. Jack, simply would not give up the room. All four have rooms adjacent to each other, Aki and Yusei's interconnect. Another thing that worried Edo but she chose to let them stay together. They are just children after all, and they seem to get along naturally. She's across the hall from them now. Jun's even offered to have the room enlarged or he had before their little spat. He'll get over it. He always does. She refused the offer, anyway. Jack would probably want it afterwards.

She went to the kitchen. Jim was cooking as he fell into the habit of doing since the children arrived. Crow was helping him cook again. He loved wearing the little chef hat. He put the vegetables in. Jim nodded in approval. Crow gave him a cocky grin. The boy had a knack for domestic duty. Edo even informed her that Rei was teaching him to sew in a very dispproving tone. She had no problem with it. It's useful. She found Edo much too old fashioned about these things. She had grown weary of his reminders that he knew more about children than her, no matter if his experience was dated by a hundred years or so.

"Okay, now serve the guests," Jim told him. Crow climbed down the little step ladder that he was under, carefully. He walked two steps at a time, moving a few inches with every step. Aki and Jack grew impatient and took their plates. Yusei waited. Crow put the tray down and handed him his soup when he got there. Crow smiled. Yusei nodded. The other two look away uneasily and stirred their soups so they will cool. They eat at varied paces. Their safety assured, Asuka planned to leave. Jim realized that she's been spying. He showed no outward sign of recognizing her presence until he put the ladle down.

"I think he will be a great cook one day. He does like coming to the kitchen, "Jim told her finally. She tried some of it. It's delicious, but it had been a long time since she has had anything to compare it to.

"Really? I think he likes you," she said.

"Nah, look at me, I have a cowboy hat and an eye patch. That's not cool," Jim said with a wave of his hand. She laughed. He took his hat off and poured a bowl for himself.

"I'm thinking of taking him camping if you don't mind. He would like that," Jim said. There were no forests nearby. He was suggesting a long trip. Her instincts tell her to expect a dead body in the forest, but he never does anything for her to suspect such things.

"Just him?" she asked.

"Yeah, " he said. He poured her a bowl. She had never eaten with her children before. She took it.

"How long?" she asked. He led her to the table.

"A week," he said. They all started talking to her at once. She caught all of it, even if before it had blended together. Jack had painted the gray stones in his room with crowns and swords. He made Ryo help. Aki and Yusei repeated what she already heard. What Rei said made an impact, Aki held Yusei's hand firmly with her free hand. She would try straightening her out later. No matter if she lacked credibility without Judai by her side.

"If anything happens," she said. She hasn't bonded as easily with Crow as with the others. His carefree nature made it hard. The past always broke through the surface when she tried.

"I'll tell you right away," Jim said. She nodded in consent. She can hear Crow whisper yes. She smiled at him. He turned red instantly, almost as fast as one would see in old fashioned cartoons. Jack muttered some snide remark. They started fighting.

"Boys," Jim said before she could intervene. They stopped. The rest of the dinner was quiet. It's enough peace for Asuka, and she doesn't not return to meditation.

Ryo entered Rei's room, and found her chanting on the floor. Much like she had explained earlier, she would indeed go through with the ritual. He would rather it didn't happen. The painted tiles glow yellow. He might be too late. The bright yellow light combined with her clouded iris made her look freakish as if she belongs in a haunted house. He shook her. A sudden numbness overcame him. He fell to the ground.

_ If she truly wishes for spirits to trouble her, it's best you don't get involved._ He doesn't know what to say. Ccarayhua usually did not disturb him. At most, he found her irritating in her catty snide remarks. Never had she really interfered. The chanting grew softer. Rei helped him up, but she doesn't stop chanting. Should she stop, the moment would be over. The spirit she wanted to see would not come.

_She is about to unleash hell tonight, and you are at its center. Leave now, _Ccarayhua warned. The numbness left as if his body had only fallen asleep momentarily. He moved his fingers experimentally. Rei looked at him and to the door meaningfully. She doesn't want him to stay either. He thought to topple the candles, and end it. It's madness.

_Unless there are people you do want to see right now_, Ccarayhua finished. He has grieved, and he doesn't wish to reopen those wounds as Rei was determined to. Another part knew what his brother would say. He doesn't want those feelings expressed out loud.

He grabbed her by the shoulders and whispered his regret. Her eyes expressed a sort of stout recognition as they grow huge. She cannot answer. Ryo knew this. He turned around, using long strides so he does not have to run. If he did, he would ruin his exit. She hasn't stopped chanting, but she shook. Rei held her arm as the mark pulsed. She had tapped too much of Cusillu's power into her spell. She pulled away from the center which stopped glowing upon her exit. The candles burned out. Nothing visibly changed. Ryo closed the door without looking back. He decided to leave to a bar tonight. He knew better than to assume the spell did not take hold.

"What will happen?" he finally thought to ask. The details of the ordeal were unknown to him. She told him in passing as if she planned to attend a carnival in the afternoon. It laughed like a banshee strangling its own neck.

_People turn to Spirit when their foundations are shaking, only to discover that it is Spirit that is shaking them_, Ccarayhua quoted. He raised his voice. However, fruitless it might be.

"Give me a straight answer," Ryo insisted. Ccarayhua clucked dismissively.

_How much truth can a spirit bear, how much truth can a spirit dare?_ Ccarayhua tells him. He can't get his car to start. He knew who to blame.

"What does any of that mean?" he tried again. An alien energy surrounded him. A thrill he felt once before when he withstood electric shocks. She enjoyed the attention. One, he rarely gave her.

_Only, that your friend will be fine, she has not realized the fundamental truth of the ritual, the others I wouldn't be so sure of. _Ccarayhua finally relented. He gets out of the car.

_What are you doing? You have good reason to stay away. There is someone there who wishes to see you. _Ccarayhua told him. He doesn't go past the first few steps. He can sense it.

And the others? He can feel the lizard crawling in his psyche like a centipede along the skin. He ignored the urge to pick at his face.

_What have they done for you lately? They care only for their own power and happiness. If you were not so kind to her, Rei would be the same._ Ryo disliked the accusation. He's known only her sorrow and laughter. What would an evil god know of good?

Shut up, he told her. He has grown more comfortable with speaking with her in the last few minutes. The god urged him to continue. The thing feeds on him. She slurped the energy away. He rested next to the car and gave up on leaving. He was far enough away. Besides, he wouldn't be good company right now.

_Why else would she want to see her past lover?_ She crooned and rolled her r's mockingly. He hated her for it. Vibrations of goodwill washed over him. It's never really affected him much. He has spent most of his later life enjoying such things. Surely, he needed something more now, something that lasted for more than a few seconds.

Rei has always searched for sweet things in her life. It makes sense that she chase the one that remained sweet, Ryo argued reasonably. It moved far too much for his liking. The scaly underbelly dragged in his consciousness, enough so he can think of nothing else in those few seconds.

_Oh, did you wish you were sweeter? _Ccarayhua taunted him. Ryo turned on the radio and crawled into the back seat. He tried hard not to think of such things. It's not like he's wanted such an encounter before. He didn't really trust anything he did that he wouldn't have done before his death. Otherwise, the god might as well have inserted it. She had been known to make alliances before.

_ Do you not want her? _Ccarayhua did not push the subject hard. Her voice fell to an echo. She was losing interest quickly. He had no real reason to answer.

He did, however, come inside. A muffled voice followed him, only an imprint of before. A weak apparition, a lingering doubt, Sho must not haunt this world. Ryo sighed in slight disappointment. Truly, he, at least, had expected things to smash against the walls, and his brother to curse him. Instead, he heard familiar things.

I want to be a duelist like you.

Let's open a pro league.

This trip will be so much fun.

The room it's . . .

He opened Rei's doors. He didn't hear anymore. She kneeled inside the hexagram. Wailing and muttering in vain, her hands on her head, she turned to him, frail like a splinter of wood.

"Why didn't he come?" she asked. He walked over and hugged her. He cared, at least.

_Because he doesn't want to see you_, Cusillu answered. Rei held onto Ryo tightly. With all the spiritual energy released, she saw things more clearly than she ever had. Except, the one thing she wanted to see.

Why?

_Only, spirits that still have business here crossover, child_, Cusillu explained.

Why didn't you warn me? You should have known this would happen. She hissed. Not even the seven spirits in her deck stirred in their imprisonment. They still hated her. He must hate her now. Why else would he not come? His death had not been peaceful. They had caused it. Why wouldn't he come?

_It is their choice. Not even I control that,_ Cusillu answered. Recurring growls followed, the simian wasn't up for more talking. She couldn't accept it. How she wished she had succeeded in turning him, he had been breaths away, then, from staying with her always. He would not even show for one lousy night now.

_Perhaps, it is time for you to turn to other matters. Ccarayhua and I have been talking. With the annihilation of the spirit world,_ he mentioned the last part with a reserved disdain. The god had not been thrilled by the empty terrain. It no longer served his initial purpose. He had congratulated her all the same.

_You are free to court. _The ape finished. She let Ryo go instantly. The man asked her something. She remained too preoccupied to comment.

With him? She had not truly thought of him that way since her youth. However, they were as close to the same age as they were going to get. She didn't completely reject the idea.

Does he not suit you? Cusillu asked. She chose the most noncommittal words she could.

He doesn't un-suit me. Rei said as she finally noticed that Ryo had taken her from the floor. They were heading to her room. It mattered little. He would not come, whether she stayed at the epicenter or curled up defeated on her bed.

_There is no rush. _Cusillu said as he retreated into the recesses of her mind.

"Rei? Did you accidentally kill yourself or something? Rei?" Ryo persisted as he shook her. She coughed and groaned under her stiff sore body.

"Ye, of little faith," she mumbled. He slapped her. She touched the stinging area. After her earlier set back, she really couldn't have this, especially from the one person who always seemed to have a sympathetic ear. For him to abandon her now . . . she hated the world.

"Don't be such an idiot," Ryo said. She shoved him. He fell. She grinned as his mouth hung open in shock.

"Don't be such a jerk," she said. He almost said something else, but she wasn't in the mood to court as her god had oh, so handily called it.

"Get out," she said, throwing her shoe at him. He glowered and made a slow escape as his robes got in the way.

"I don't know why he didn't come. You have such excellent manners," he said curtly, before shutting the doors.

Screaming out in frustration, she let herself drop violently down on the mattress. She wormed into the mass of covers. The words stung, and she wished she could expel them from her body. It added to the cancer growing there. For in her room, she saw no lights, and for once, her entire world was black.


	11. Consequences

Consequences

Out here in the woods free of living nightmares, Jim had a sense of freedom he hadn't felt in a long time. The boy could run. Jim had to jog to keep up. They returned to camp with exactly one fish. Crow kept splashing around in the water and scaring them away. Jim had to cheat and grab one with his bare hands.

He started the campfire. He had already collected the appropriate amount of timber and simply struck a match. Crow oohed and awed. It was nothing really, but it had been awhile since the boy was outside. He found out early that Crow had never seen trees before either. He gutted the fish and put it to boil in a pot of water over the grate.

"So, are you having fun?" Jim asked. The boy threw a piece of timber into the fire and watched it burn.

"Yeah, it was funny when you fell into the river," Crow said. Jim scowled. The boy had snuck up on him. That and he'd been deftly afraid that he lost him at the time. Crow giggled. Well, at least, he hadn't really lost him.

"Good, we'll split the fish. I also brought some marshmallows for dessert," Jim told him. Crow clapped his hands together.

"Yay," he said, throwing another stick into the fire.

"Stop throwing the sticks so hard. You wouldn't want the forest to catch on fire would you?" Jim asked. Crow shook his head furiously.

Jim stuck a fork into the fish, white flaky bits showed. He cut it in half and gave Crow the other piece. Crow pecked at the fish with his fingers so he could avoid the bones.

"It's staring at me," he said, after a few minutes of nibbling on it.

"It can't stare at you. It's dead," Jim reasoned.

"You're staring at me," Crow said. Jim didn't have a response to that so he dropped the subject. The staring eye must not have bothered him too much because he still ate his half.

"Can we eat dessert now?" Crow asked. His motivation might be questioned though.

"Sure, but did you eat the fish just so you could have marshmallows? I packed other food," Jim said.

"Martha always said to eat the main meal before dessert. Then, she would smack me with the ladle if I didn't," Crow explained.

"Ah," Jim said and handed him a marshmallow on a stick.

"Now, you don't leave it in the fire too long, just enough to burn the edges," Jim told him. The marshmallows curled into brown charcoal lumps. Crow stuffed his into his mouth.

"Hmph, homph," Crow gargled. Jim handed him some water. Crow drank it and rubbed his throat.

"Are you okay?" Jim asked.

"I want another one," Crow said. It was a good enough answer for Jim.

"Okay but wait for it to cool next time,"Jim said.

Jim let him eat four. Crow didn't say much in between. Crow turned his attention to the darkening woods and pointed.

"Look, it's a bear with two cubs," Crow exclaimed. They weren't close enough for Jim to bother scaring them. They were heading elsewhere.

"Do you think she has a third one?" Crow asked.

"Well, sometimes they do, this one doesn't seem to," Jim said.

"Oh," Crow said. He had an idea of what the boy wanted to hear.

"Well, if she did have three, she would take care of all of them. Mother bears have strong maternal instincts. It's certain birds that sometimes abandon their young when they have too many" Jim said.

"Asuka's a bird," Crow said. Idiot, he shouldn't have added that last part. Sometimes he was no better than a nature documentary. There was still time to do some damage control.

"She's not a real one," Jim said. The boy didn't seem very appeased. He warmed his hands over the fire. The bears were long gone.

"Sometimes, I don't think she likes me very much," Crow said.

"Nonsense, she loves all of you," Jim assured him. She did try to strangle him when she lost both him and Jack to Martha.

"I'll do silly things like I do, and she'll look me like I tore her heart out," Crow said. He went ahead and let him have another marshmallow.

"That has nothing to do with you," Jim said. Crow nodded. There didn't seem a way for Jim to personally cast away his doubts. So, Jim changed the subject. The boy talked about his time in the orphanage for a while. Edo's money seemed to have done quite a bit of good. It wasn't a particularly sad story.

_You have to go back now, _Chacu Challhua demanded.

Why? Jim did not see any reason to go back now. They never really needed him for much, unless no one else knew how to cook, and there was always takeout.

_Something terrible has happened. _Jim packed quickly

"What's wrong?" Crow asked. He didn't want to worry him.

"Your mom missed you. She wants us to come back early," he lied. It seemed to help.

Manjoume sat in his chair behind the mahogany desk and wrote his third attempt at a proper love poem. The first one was fine. The second superb. Nothing wrong with either really, but it had to be perfect.

_ What you are doing is unhelpful. The other guy practically let her die, and she still likes him better than you. _Uru's old man voice disturbed his amusing day dream, one he very much hoped would come true.

Stay out of my way, Uru. It doesn't concern you. Manjoume dismissed him promptly. He didn't quite like the third one either.

_Oh but it concerns me deeply when Aslla Piscu's servant humiliates you. Let me help, _Uru insisted. The fourth one was promising, and he had to spill ink over it at Uru's suggestion. He couldn't possibly remember all of it again.

No. As far as he was concerned, it opened too many possibilities for the god to utterly destroy her. To be honest, he had prayed for Judai's death more than he cared to admit.

_You're an impossible love struck fool. _He retreated, crawling away into his subconscious, where he might find like-minded stray thoughts. The death gods never wanted to push. They somehow always did anyway.

_ "_We would like your attention if you do not mind," A voice he did not recognize called him. He looked up, nothing. The tone had been formal, eloquent. He had heard it many times before during social events in the pro leagues. The lack of anyone only gave him a moment's pause. After all, he was the strange thing in this universe. A god's vessel was hard to top.

"Oh, I would personally love to break your neck like you did ours, but apparently, there are certain rules for these kinds of things," He heard a different voice this time, gruff, much like his own which didn't care much for decorum. He looked up again, nothing. He had an idea of what he was dealing with now. He had only broken two guys' necks ever.

"Show yourselves," he demanded. The yell echoed down the halls. They faded into existence looking solid. Rudger leaned over his desk. Okay, so, they were solid.

"Hello," Manjoume hadn't really thought of them. He didn't know what else to say really.

"We just want to have a word," Rex said. Manjoume nodded. They had already revealed they couldn't hurt him. What did he care?

"So, are you here to show me the error of my ways?" Manjoume said.

"Oh no, things were going to hell long before you showed up," Rudger said with a smile that resembled a tiger's snarl, obligatory and insincere.

"We are here to deliver a message from the Crimson dragon," Rex said. He paid them more attention now and sat straighter than before. This was a first. Rudger read one of his poems and laughed. He punched him in the face. The man dropped to the ground. Manjoume hadn't expected it to work. He retrieved the poem and put them all in a drawer in his desk. Rudger tackled him down after he closed it. His current physical form could withstand a lot of damage, but Manjoume gasped from the sheer surprise of the weight on top of him.

"I thought you couldn't hurt me," Manjoume complained mostly out of principle. Rudger leered at him and let loose a large throaty chuckle.

"I get one for everyone you make. They are fair up there," Rudger explained, reluctantly letting him go. Manjoume stretched, something cracked. He swore, in Incan of all things.

"Do feel free to try again at any point," Rudger said with an air of superiority that he recognized in himself. Manjoume did not risk another encounter with the man, considering they were the messengers of the one thing that could kill him. Rex cleared his throat, and wiped the sweat from his face with a napkin before tucking it in his shirt pocket, an odd gesture for a ghost to make. It was odd that he sweated at all.

"Since you have seen fit to strip the signers' of their power, the dragon has been forced to dishonorably seek assistance elsewhere," Rex dictated. Truly, there was no passion to it at all.

"Are you sure you don't want to get a punch in?" Manjoume asked. Rex had been so polite and formal. Where were the rage and grief?

_ "_Jun, you are something to be pitied, not despised. I hold no hard feelings for something you did under Uru's influence," Rex said.

"Don't call me that, and I'm doing just fine, thank you," Jun answered curtly.

"Of course," Rex smiled. It resembled Edo's (I know more than you do) smile. He didn't appreciate it.

"Now, before we go, the dragon wants to be sure you know whom you will be facing," Rex said. Really, he was saying everything. He wondered why Rudger came at all. He rubbed his stomach. Actually, he had pretty good idea. He also knew they wouldn't leave until he showed some level of comprehension. The gravity of the implication didn't escape him. It went against everything Asuka hoped for. Everything she thought would make her happy.

"Judai," he whispered. Rex nodded, and started to glow. Hollywood could never emulate such an ephemeral glow, it both chilled and enthralled him.

"You can tell him as we agreed," Rex gestured to Rudger before blinking out of existence.

"Now, Mr. Fudo dropped by to see your girl for personal reasons. I can tell you now that their encounter we'll not be as pleasant as ours," Rudger whispered as if indulging in some ideal gossip over tea. Manjoume's confidence faltered, and his face was not jagged but rounded as he considered the snippet of information. He really did not have a feel for how well Asuka would take that. Rei had revealed to him her worries at Asuka's often abrupt rejection of Crow. All would be well until he would tell some joke. She would stand, leaving him in tears after her repeated escapes. He had faith that whatever bothered her would fade with time, but if she was instigated, it could get worse. He wasn't finished. Rudger circled him. The difference in their height naturally made him appear more like the carnivore in this situation. For once, Manjoume wished he was taller.

"He's what we call a malevolent spirit. Too bad, he used to be so nice before your lot got to him," Rudger paused to clean his finger nails. For a moment, he saw the whites of his eyes turn black and mirror his own. It passed. A simple shadow of what came before. It occurred to him that he knew the extent of his capacities as he had played both sides.

"He is not under any obligation to follow the guidelines given to us. Best of all, you are not allowed to leave this room until he is done. Have a nice day," Rudger said, before following his brother in the same flash of blinding light. He really hadn't expected him to take the same path up.

Manjoume tried to open the door anyway. A rush of spiritual energy flowed through him and knocked him to the other side of the room. The chalkboard he kept in his room(Mostly as a novelty) wheeled forward. The chalk moved of its own accord and spelled out the following phrase: Relax, I only wish to speak to her. He closed his eyes and leaned back. He would have to take his word for it.

Asuka knew she had been irritable grouch today, but she slowly lost her steam. She hoped Rei had not taken her words too seriously. She could hear her sobbing as she walked past her door. Asuka would talk to her later when the girl would be more likely to listen. She went to bid her children goodnight. She started with Jack. He wasn't asleep, not even close. He lay flat on his stomach, playing a video game. The knight chopped a knave's head off on the screen.

"Goodnight Jack," she stressed the word goodnight. He turned around.

"I had good reasons for chopping his head off," Jack said. She didn't move from the door way. He hadn't liked it when she kissed him good night last time.

"I'm sure you did," she said, turning around. With Jack, the hands off approach was best. She had to pick her battles.

"Wait," Jack said. She stopped. He shut down the game and got into the sheets.

"I'm ready," he said. Perhaps, she had been wrong. Asuka came closer. She tucked the sheets in and pecked him on the cheek.

"Yuck," he said, sticking out his tongue.

"Okay, I won't kiss you on the cheek next time," she promised. He raised the blanket so only half his head showed and closed his eyes.

"Why?" he said, somewhat muffled by the blank on top. She didn't know what to make of it. Maybe, it was simply Jack's way. She turned off the light and closed the door.

Next, she visited Crow's room. The door ajar, she saw only an empty bed, perfectly ordered with all the earthbound immortal stuffed animals lined in a row. She had forgotten.

"Good night . . . Please be safe," she said and shut his door. She trusted Jim. She had to.

When she went to Aki's, she found Aki already asleep, holding Yusei, so much for that talk they had.

"Do you need help getting out sweetie?" she asked. He was perfectly nestled in between some pink pillows Rei had picked out. Yusei looked at Aki.

"Can I keep her?" he asked. It was an odd question, and she didn't know how seriously to take it from a two-year old.

"Sure," she found the sincerity charming. It wasn't like Edo was in hearing distance anyway. She put a blanket over them. She kissed each one on the cheek. He did the same to her and Aki.

"Could you close the window so the sand monster won't come in?" he asked. She closed the window and left the two of them alone.

Everything had fallen into place. The surmounting pressure vanished. She really only had one or really two more kids to go. Once again, her body lay smooth in the silk bed sheets as if barely sculpted by Michelangelo. With the kids gone, she finally had a chance to read for pleasure for a change. The lamp light went out. Strange, Edo would not have hired shoddy contractors.

Asuka put the book down. She would call the electrician tomorrow. Whatever remained of her brain's physical facilities begged for sleep, a dreamless oblivion to separate one day from the next. Someone sat in the corner of her bed. He had Yusei's haircut but he was much too tall to be Yusei wanting to crawl into the covers. Perhaps, she had blinked and missed him grow up.

"I haven't seen you in awhile," the man said. She wasn't comfortable laying down while he was here. It would be much harder to defend herself from a horizontal position. She stood and was glad that her brother's taste's in women's night gowns hadn't rubbed off on her. The black cotton fabric went all the way down to her ankles and covered everything nicely.

"No need to get up on my account, I certainly didn't it," Mr. Fudo turned and revealed the large bloody gash on his person. The viscous red oozed down onto the stone floor and slipped into the cracks. The speed at which it fell seemed unnatural and forced. The copper smell stronger than it should be. She wanted to throw up, but she had learned to push down the feeling long ago.

"Why are you here Mr. Fudo?" Bleeding on my floor, she added silently. He looked down at the gash and touched it gingerly.

"It is rather disgusting isn't it? He clapped his hands, and the gash disappeared. She could still picture and smell it from before. She wondered if she touched the pristine coat, would the blood stain her hand? The blood hidden under some magical charm. Judai had definitely pulled that trick more than once.

"The gate was open. I simply walked inside," Mr. Fudo explained. The card, the hexagram, the wispy heart, the stupid smile on her face. I'll kill that stinking witch.

"I see. I meant why did you want to see me," Asuka elaborated. He dropped his nonchalant demeanor. The moonlight slipped from his face leaving only the dark shadows. There was no chance of reading his expression after that.

"Do you even have to ask?" Mr. Fudo murmured. His son, the gash, did he see him while he practically bled to death all over again?

"Have you seen him?" she asked. She imagined Yusei wide eyed, frowning as he asked, Daddy? If she ever wanted to introduce him to his real father, it was not blood stained and ghostly. The unknown state of her son filled her with urgency, an emotion stronger than she had felt in a long time. Her stomach grumbled, rejecting the potency of it. His coat disappeared replaced with a black body, not skin but black energy itself.

"Please, tell me he didn't see you like this," she said, softly. The face turned away from her. She could read the pure misery of his aura. The pressure of it almost drowned her. She let loose shallow breaths and stepped as far from it as possible. She grabbed the door handle. A jolt of the energy invaded her. The heaviness of it paralyzed her and she dropped to the ground.

_The lizard has betrayed us. _Aslla Piscu seethed. The creature stared past her, beyond her, to what was inside.

"I don't want to see you," the thing said, and he was simply gone, inaccessible. Asuka shivered. She might as well be naked. There was no longer a wall of black magic to insulate her from this abstract form of despair. Strangely, the black surface melted away to Mr. Fudo, same as before, a tanner, cyan-eyed version of her son, oh yeah, in a lab coat. He offered her his hand. There wasn't any aura of any kind left to speak of. He simply existed, and only his apologetic face gave her any indication of his intention. She took his hand. Somehow, she remained unspeakably heavy. She leaned into him. He steadied her. She couldn't think, her head lacked substance as if empty without Aslla Piscu.

"Of course I haven't. I tried. She wouldn't let me," Mr. Fudo said, looking at the stars in the open window. The stars? The dragon, then, Rei was probably blubbering from dealing with Johan. (Who else?) Considering what attached to him, she didn't blame the dragon for wanting him uninvolved. The dragon was dying inside them. The spirit might have been enough to finish it off.

"She's not done with them," he added. She laughed, a deranged laugh that lasted far too long and lacked any reason for bubbling to the surface. Without her god, there was nothing to shield her, but then again, all these spirits out to get her only had the power of suggestion. They could fling her straight into the city pavement miles away, and she would still exist. The thing may have blocked Aslla Piscu out, but the fact she didn't join the dust outside was enough to prove he still existed. And her children? They were afraid of the Crimson Dragon. The thing had no cards left to play.

"What? She's going to be their nightlight for all eternity?" she remarked snidely.

"Rarely, does the dragon choose to intervene with its human vessels, especially on such trivial matters. She thinks humans are capable of doing a lot by themselves," he informed her while projecting an image of the beast before her. The initial blackness had vanished, and she almost felt as if she were attending lectures again with a professor she didn't entirely connect with.

"I never understood why the dragon doesn't just tell them what's wrong if she's so desperate," Not that she wanted that but she always wondered. Her god did not hesitate to say anything to her. The dragon seemed far too primitive to grasp that evolutionary step. See that lady over there you're calling mom? She's trying to kill me and destroy the world, help. How hard could that be?

"It does not speak directly with them by choice. She feels it prevents deceit and promotes good will, however, when it is absolutely necessary she sends an envoy," he finished.

"Are you that envoy?" she asked. The black substance that escaped him made her think twice about that conclusion. She briefly had that raw power within her. The entire being was nothing but pure light, the good light. The warmth and wholeness she felt almost made her fall apart, to join with it was to disintegrate into the sands below. He surely wasn't part of that all powerful light. She would have known instantly.

"No, I just hate it when young people are misinformed," he stated. She never thought of it as an intelligent being, to her it had simply always been in the way. It's reasons where enlightening to say the least. She still found it inferior for they had caught the dragon, completely and utterly, and it might as well be their embittered pet lizard.

"Now, to why you're really here, are you worried he is learning Latin because it's a dead language? Or that he's dissecting frogs at such a young age?" she said. The change in topic caused a momentary lapse in his formal facade. He was trying very hard not to smile. She considered vaguely how hard it would have been to take his son if the situation had been in his favor and not hers. The back and forth banter alone initiated a mild headache. The mother, she didn't even want to know her, for she must also be impossibly intelligent.

"You're a fine teacher Asuka. I'm more concerned with his moral education," Clearly, he wasn't talking the small things like vandalism and thievery that Yusei wouldn't do anyway. He's talking about her very way of life.

"Oh, that he's praying to death gods, and I'm teaching him to fear the very thing that would save him from being a recluse in a castle forever?" she asked as if she really didn't know.

"Exactly," he seemed relieved at her cooperation. Just as she thought, he was the type of professor that she could butter up with jokes and clever quips. He wasn't one, but he fit the archetype.

"I can't help you. You are the frog, and I am the scorpion. I will sting you," Asuka shrugged. She never had anything against him. Only, she had the inclination to steal his son away. They could have been great friends if she hadn't, assuming his friend never shot him or the million of other things stacked against him didn't happen.

"Then, you force me to be cruel," he said. The change was subtle. Frankly, she noticed it because of her past experience with Ryo, back when he still had his kingly pride. The voice would become quieter, the stare more serene, and the stance more relaxed. Deep down, he wanted to slap the person, hard.

" I don't think you can be," she replied honestly. The black thing couldn't have been him. She had a feeling he was as creative as her son. His strikes wouldn't be so direct and crude. The man that had kept her talking instead of crying out to the others was smarter than that.

"You're a horrible mother," he told her flatly. His opinion didn't matter, much. She didn't like that he thought so little of her, but it couldn't affect her. Mr. Fudo was dead. His son wasn't going anywhere. He had no control over the situation at all.

"You are raising him to idolize death, and therefore, he will want to be like you. He will want to die,"he pushed her to the ground. The heaviness made it impossible to get up. No witty comeback surfaced. Her mind was an empty box labeled: evil god wanted. The thought tainted her perfect vision of all her children asleep in bed, the _Great Gatsby _waiting on the table side, and the happy future she should have by now. In what world does the beloved aunt summon a ghost to haunt the mother? She wasn't happy. Someone told her that. She couldn't remember who.

She lay there curled up, thinking, thinking, nothing. Who was she? She never wanted children. That's right, but who would say that? After all this time and effort, who would say that? It was her god that suggested it, not her. The boy, the little orange hair boy, she couldn't stand him. His grating laugh. The stupid nonsensical pranks. His damn obsession with things that fly. The cocky grin that reminded her so much of . . . She was a horrible mother.

Mr. Fudo waited. He could have stabbed her with the scissors on her desk, but he wouldn't. He's a nice man. Jim was a nice man. He didn't hate her son like she did.

Yusei . . . she . . . she did love Yusei. She didn't want him to die. His little hand had gripped her finger. He had called her mommy.

"No, I won't let him," she said finally. She kept him waiting for a while. He looked startled when she finally spoke. He jumped a little, floated of the ground, just enough for a normal person to think they were going crazy if they'd seen it, but no, she was possessed by a death god talking to a ghost. He's expected to float in mid air. Mr Fudo was all business again. He's just like Rudger and Rex. Ruthlessly whittling away at his opponent until he gets what he wants. She should have suspected, look how awful they turned out to be. Still, he's a nice man; he smiled at her. In fact, his smile was too large. It made him look possessed, but that's silly he's the ghost, and she's the possessed one.

"Do you think Aslla Piscu wouldn't love that?"he tells her. She raised her head. It's all she can raise. She feels much too weighed down. How could Judai handle so much darkness inside him? The burden screwed with her head to the point that the man started making sense. She remembered how enamored the god was by Yusei's genuine interest. The humming bird wanted to be loved but never was. It was why it chose her so they could both be loved scorned together. So, he can't be loved if she's not. It wouldn't be fair.

"He wouldn't touch him. He's mine," she yelled. The pitch sounded like a little girls whine when someone tried to take her doll. She pursed her lips defiantly. She scrutinized this white coated man. Who wears a lab coat when they're dead honestly?

"Like he didn't touch Aki," Mr. Fudo added. He so wouldn't know when to shut up in dinner parties. His wife must have hated him explaining the physics of combining atoms together to someone who asked what's up. She shook her head all the same. He wasn't considering all the facts. Aki was being difficult. She's better now. The bird did a good thing. It's her birdy. It's keeping her alive. She never wanted to die in the first place. He poisoned her. It's his fault. She's throbbing, overheating. She wanted to rip the clothes off. She can't. He's here, and he won't leave.

"She's alive"she said.

"For now," he replied. It's true. It's not hard to take her over should Asuka prove a bad choice in the long hall, just add a drop of poison to her zippy cup. Would she have a little rose tattoo then? A pink highlighted robe? She doesn't say anything. Her insides are churning. She can picture the soup just spewing out. She held her stomach and groaned.

"And out of all the respectable choices in the castle, you choose the one father figure that will never be there. You know how much that pisses me off," He crouched down so he was at her eye level. She already knew it was a mistake. Judai was never the right choice for her. She could have had anyone else, but she never wanted anyone else, not to this level of obsession. There was that one guy she had a crush on when she was ten. He used to buy her ice cream Mr. Jacoby. Of course, he had a red tie. It was all coming together.

"It . . . it slipped out. I didn't think," she said, crying. The tears were coming down in threes and fours. He's waiting because he's a nice man. She would have thrown him out already if he was blubbering. He can't see his son. It's her fault. She can't even give Yusei a real father. She's a horrible mother. Why doesn't Mr. Fudo know when to shut up? Was he just too brilliant for anyone to say anything? She wanted to strangle him, but she can't even stop the contractions that made her hiccups sound like an ailing horse. She can't breathe, but she doesn't need to. Asuka's never thought to stop. It's a bad habit like smoking.

"Of course not, Aslla Piscu does it for you," said. The words were cold like his dead wife hands. The one's she pried Yusei away from. She's a horrible mother. Asuka can't even remember the lady's name. She doesn't want to say anything else. He'll just turn it against her, but he kept waiting like a nice man. He handed her a tissue. She blows. Nothing comes out, because she was just a pile of sand waiting to happen.

"No, he just advised me," she said. The presence was always there, but Aslla Piscu does not talk constantly. It picked its battles.

"No, he tells you what to do, and you agree,"Mr. Fudo said. She disagreed once. It cost her dearly. It's still her choice. That's perfect. She'll tell him that.

"I have a choice," she said. He smirked. It twisted coyly and teased her in its knowledge, and she wished dearly that Yusei never smile like that when he's older. She doesn't want to hate another son.

"Can you see Judai?" he asked. Yes, of course, Piscu promised. Even if it killed all her sons, and told her what to do, he had to do that for her at least.

"Later," she said. It's what the bird said. She had to believe it. At least, the nice man told her Judai was alive. So what if he tried to kill her, everyone one of her friends already had.

"When?" he asked with the same smirk. Mr. Fudo was never like this when he was alive was he? She's sorry. It's her fault. She didn't call an ambulance. It wouldn't have done much good but still.

"I don't know," she said. The contractions hadn't stopped. She butchered the sentence. He still understood it.

"What kind of choice is that?" he said. The only one she had. She did not know where he was. The man wasn't really listening. He's stabbing with her with a hot poker and ignoring her squeals as if she were a pig. Mr. Fudo was not very nice at all. She should have realized sooner.

"Shut up," she shouted. Why had no one come? She was yelling rather loudly.

" Yusei will leave you. They all will. Deep down you know it. You've dreamed it," he told her. Mr. Fudo can read thoughts. She should have known. She should have known a lot of things, but she's sick of him waiting like a vulture to pick at her.

" It was a stupid accidental dream. There is no shrimp in the desert," she yelled. The heaviness had come into her brain. It didn't catch the stupid rationale of her last sentence. She doesn't correct herself. He'll nit pick. Mr. Fudo stopped looking at her. It's a relief.

"When I held him for the first time, he squirmed. He won't stay put. We tried. Martha tried," he mutters. She can keep up. She will be young forever. He wanted to work all the time. Martha had too many kids to follow.

"They love me. They won't leave me,"she said. They adored her. They followed her every chance they got.

"Oh, didn't they love Martha? They left her for a pack of cards each," he said. It hurts. She was happy then or was she ever? Was he ever a nice man?

"What is wrong with you?" she screamed out. Please come, Jun. I need a nice man to come. I know I've been a mean lady. Please come anyway.

"What is wrong with you that you never thought of any of this?" he yelled right back. She curled up next to the door shaking. He doesn't wait anymore.

"Once better things come along, they'll forget the toys, the castle, your love," he said. It's like the dragon was ripping at her flesh. It's so hot. She replaced the castle with the house and your with my. He was talking about himself, what a bitter man. Yusei wasn't old enough to love you.

"They'll leave for college, to the pro-leagues or maybe, they'll just want space away from the inhuman creature that has been breathing down their necks all these years," he looked just like her boy, but he's more monstrous than the black sludge. If he ever found out what she did, will Yusei yell at her like this? She thought about what he said. It doesn't make sense. He's not even that smart anymore.

"You just said that he'd want to be like me. Your not making any sense," she said, in semi high pitched squeaks and low murmurs. She's trying not to be emotional. Then, she'd be like all the other girls that broke down and cried, weak and hopeless.

"It is all possible. I just want you to think about what you're doing, what you are dragging my son into." He said this like a father, a scared one. She nodded. The fear made him spout such venom. It's not the fear of a father for his boy. She caught his mistake. He's not an angel. He never was.

"You're going to hell aren't you?"she said. Mr Fudo falls to the ground. He's heavy too.

"What?" he asked, baffled and speechless. Why do they have to look alike? Asuka almost hated to keep going. Her son came from him. She's damning her son. She was a horrible mother.

"That's where that thing came from isn't it?" she demanded. He's finally speechless. His eyes were wide like when Yusei just wanted to shut himself away and hide. He's not saying no.

"He was supposed to redeem you, but I took him away," she said. She remembered something, now that he gave her time to think. He slapped his son. He's not a _good_ father at least.

"Without him, you helped kill millions of lives and have nothing to redeem yourself with. He's my evil baby now. That sounds hell worthy to me," Asuka said with a giggling laugh that grew deeper and richer with every breath.

"You are just as selfish as I am," she said. Mr. Fudo shook his head.

"Poor lost soul, you don't know what's coming to you," he said matter of factly. He was not trying to antagonize her anymore. He's withdrawn and quiet, just like his son. She can't hate him. She can't hate her sons, but he's not. The man wanted to destroy her and have him tell her what to do.

"Go ahead, nothing you say will hurt me," she said because it was already hurting her.

"Really, I already see it, festering," he remarked. In his eyes, she can see he thought he won. His grin widened. His teeth were so white compared to his tan his skin that it dazzled her, enough to give her a headache. Please, don't let Yusei turn out that way, always lying with his smiles.

"Just tell me," she said with a sigh. She's tired and doesn't want to hear anymore. The scorpion was out of poison, and in truth, it fought with another scorpion.

"When the crimson dragon feels truly threatened, it sends the person you cherish most to destroy you," he told her. Kiryu, Carly, but what he said doesn't add up for everyone, it was enough to plant a seed of doubt in her last stronghold.

"Judai. He wouldn't" she started to say. Asuka lost the advantage. He wasn't out of poison.

"Eh, wait, you're evil. He won't defend you. He'll help destroy you," he said again. The man stood and peered down at her. She imagined he wouldn't think twice about throwing her into Momentum's reactor.

"No," she said. Judai wouldn't do that. So what if he slipped up a few times? He shouldn't know about that.

"He's destroyed you once already. You're lucky that it didn't actually kill you, but you're already dead. Do you think you'll be so lucky a second time?" he said. She hated the universe's infinite knowledge, and that this man had access to it. He kept twisting her insides, and she can't twist back.

"You've never won against him," he said. True, some sand comes inside. She tries to push herself further into the corner. She doesn't want to disintegrate and get mixed in with regular sand.

"Shut up,"she said.

"You've never changed his mind,"he said. If she had, she would be dead by now, but maybe, she would have lived a happy life in her lifetime. She couldn't. When did she ever take the uncomplicated route? She's talking to a ghost. She tried to bring the world into the god awful light. She picked the wrong boy.

"Go away," she whined. Her eyes were dry. She doesn't have enough water left in her system to cry. She doesn't drink that much of it. The only thing left was the energy keeping her alive. She wanted this man to go away. She doesn't want Yusei to meet this man.

"He's not your son. He doesn't even know your name," she said in a shriek that only a girl ever can manage. It's the first time it has ever come out of her mouth.

"Not even when it mattered most, it's funny. You never know what to do when it matters most," Mr. Fudo said. His eyes were on the sunrise. The magic was gone. He can't stay. She can sense the heaviness leave, and the emptiness that remained. Aslla Piscu filled it quickly.

"Goodbye and please, think about what I said, even a little," Mr. Fudo said. He faded into the stars and rising sun. For once, she can't hear what her god was saying.

Rei busted inside, her eyes red from past tears. She wrapped her arms wrap around her, firmly and tenderly. It's too late. The doubts were buried deep inside. Only she can unravel them piece by piece.

"It's terrible," Rei wailed. She already knew she was horrible mother. She's tired of hearing it.

"Rei, wait, we have no idea what state she's in," Jun said. Why couldn't he have come sooner? She can't appreciate it now.

"Fubuki's slipped into a coma. The spell I did . . . it, and the condor made him . . . I'm sorry," Rei sobbed into her nightgown. Asuka snapped. She ripped the nightgown off and stood. Jun's mouth hung open. The apology he wanted to say never came. Jim brought Crow inside. He wished he didn't. He covered Crow's eyes quickly. She can't register it. She screamed at all of them to get out. She threw things, the book, the lamp, and the picture of Judai winking in that charming way of his. Her own insignia burned on the ground, and the picture disappeared into it. With the magic gone, the place was no longer sound proof. The other children heard and peered through the doorway. The initial fear returned to Jack and Crow. Aki had never seen her this way and can only think of the word monster. Their alike, Aki wondered if some day she will be the same. Jim ushered them away. The witch that started it was too exhausted to calm her and heeded Asuka's cry for privacy. Rei pushed through the flames, letting part of the robe burn off. The need for proper courtesy had passed. Ryo waited for her in the hallway. They left together. Jun came closer. He tried using the sheets on the bed to cover her, but the insignia burned it. Uru kept him clothed. He whispered the first word of thanks he's ever given the creature. He asked for one more favor. Uru granted it. The next sheet wrapped around Asuka without burning off. She cried and clung to him in lieu of her brother. He said nothing. She kissed him. Not like this, he whispered and pushed her away. She cried some more and said, she wants to see her son, Mr. Fudo. He doesn't know what to say to that so he held her again. She clung to him willingly. It's everything Jun ever wished for at the worst possible moment. He hated himself for enjoying it. Edo looking equally drained glanced at the two. Jun waved him away. He nodded and kept walking. Aslla Piscu hated sobbing. He always got hosts who sob. He will not wait for her to stop as he had in the past for Carly. There was something utterly broken about this particular girl sobbing. It wasn't natural. It made the sound more intolerable. Aslla Piscu applied the appropriate pressures to make her fall asleep. Jun continued to hold her, even as the fire ceased. There was a broken picture frame on the floor, half melted and covered in ash. She sobbed harder when she saw it. Jun pushed the remains under the bed. Down the hall, Jim explained their mommy was upset they didn't knock, and to please leave next time they see her breakdown like that.


	12. When the light fades

When the light fades

As Judai finally had a chance to rest in the vast black space, he didn't bother standing; it made no difference here. The celestial living energy that inhabited this oblivion circled him appreciatively and let out a sweet melodic hum. He pet a nearby ball of light which tingled in response, they were really sensitive to touch. Truthfully, he had originally been dismayed by their lack of speech and well, their relatively lack of defining features in general, but they'd proved to be endearing if simple creatures.

"It's time for me to go. Nothing is going to hunt you anymore," he said, unsure how long he'd stayed, with no sun or any defining way to tell time. It didn't matter; he was well aware of the risk he took traveling out of his dimension. However, his stay for the most part had been pleasant, no matter how mundane the task given to him had been. Judai had served as a kind of pest control and removed the sticky black counterparts of the creatures who did not seem to have any inherent way to protect themselves. They nearly engulfed him, and perhaps, if he hadn't had the smallest hope that his friends might still be alive in his world, he would have let them as together they functioned as a blanket and kept him warm. At his slight resistance, they removed themselves, huddling together as they were inclined to do. Judai sat cross legged, leaning forward while putting the pressure of his weight on his hands and knees. He smiled encouragingly at the creatures, knowing how emotional and volatile they could be. Today, they were more than happy to oblige him and bounced around. The leader, (the one that glowed the brightest) came forward.

"Go home?" the leader asked, and Judai gaped, surprised. It had never bothered speaking to him before. Yubel snickered, and he resisted the urge to narrow his eyes. These creatures were apt at deciphering facial features. _You could have told me. _She didn't even pretend to be apologetic, sharing a body made it needless. Instead, she tsked him teasingly and answered promptly. _What fun would that have been?_ Judai ignored this and answered the creature that bobbed expectantly.

"Yes," he said, and the creature appeared to shake from some unknown fear. Judai had a pretty good idea what it could be.

"You'll be fine on your own," he said which only seemed to make the creature fret more.

"No," the light ball squealed, and Judai shook his head.

"Please?" the creature asked, tilting it body mass up so it bulged upwards. The creature shook, shining brighter while repeatedly calling out no. After watching this for a few seconds, it clicked that it would be impossible to appease the little critters, and he should just firmly tell them he wanted to go home. He shook his head again, and the creature dimmed, hovering dejectedly in front of him.

"I belong there," Sort of, he told to himself; someday, he would need to fix something somewhere else. The leader understood this and rallied the others who had become listless at the news of his departure. The mass of energy shook in unison, and soon, they all started to shine their very brightest, blinding him. He shielded his eyes, until the light faded.

The first thing he registered when he removed his arm was that there was sand everywhere. Second, Judai was near the outskirts of some city that looked vaguely familiar despite the futuristic feel. Third, he was very dizzy or his blurry vision and haphazard movement forward told him as much. (There had not really been hunger, thirst, or any sort of discomfort, and he suspected it was more of a final destination than a place to live one's life.) He fell, and while the sand cushioned his fall, he wasn't used to the sting anymore. Wincing, he rolled over, oddly fixated on the stars above. He hadn't seen any in what felt like an eternity. Whether that were true or not, he would never know. Judai stretched and took a deep breath in preparation for a well-deserved rest until the air actually reached his lungs. He coughed; something was deeply wrong with the air; so many chemicals and smoke. Still, despite the alarm this caused him, he really wanted to close his eyes, just for a little while. Unfortunately, he wasn't the only one with some say in the matter._ Get up, _Yubel hissed, sounding more agitated than she had in a really long time. Judai did feel in his gut that it was more than the polluted air of a nearby city that bothered him. _I know._ He just didn't know what. He picked himself up, the disorientation no longer hindering him as much. Time to find out . . .

Aki entered the temple area, sure that Yusei must be there if he wasn't in his room. She didn't walk very far, stopping near the entrance. He was meditating again, and she was hesitant to disturb him, even if she had yet to see him snap at her. She hated when he meditated, especially how he would become still like a cold forgotten corpse. It reminded her too much of her mother and while Aki did sense a sort a warmth beneath Asuka's cool demeanor, the idea of Yusei becoming the same way always made her panic. She ran, passing each god's statue that was paired with its respective counterpart, eventually leading to Rainbow dragon's monument. She found herself naming each one as she neared him. Chacu Challhua and Ccarayhua were at the entrance and kept to themselves. If Yusei noticed her approach, he didn't give any indication of caring either way and kept his eyes closed. Ccapac Apu and Cusillu caused more trouble than they're worth. Aki was extremely conscious of how fast she was going and the echo of her footsteps. Aslla Piscu and Wiraqocha were both frozen forever. A part of her knew she had gained enough momentum, she lunged so he fell easily on the matt which skid so they were closer to the center of the altar and very much beneath Aslla Piscu's watch. He smiled instead of reprimanding her, and Aki panted while keeping a firm grip on his wrists. She's timed it well this time. Yusei sighed, stretched, and uncrossed his legs, acknowledging her. Aki lets go, despite clear indications that he wouldn't mind that sort of _play _today. However, he always initiated contact, and Aki never knew what to do after this part. Her heart beat went rampant in a good way, in a way that told her that she was alive. She had to remind herself often as the quiet could all but drive her crazy. And yet, the steady rhythmic beating was never enough. She wanted touch and touch wasn't necessarily frowned upon, per say, if Rei and Ryo were any indication. As they stared at each other, she can't help but be reminded of the last pair. Uru and Rainbow dragon were all alone.

She noticed a while ago that there was tension between them and only with their latest encounters had she begun to understand why. The problem was more prominent when neither could initiate the act, and perhaps it often was inadvisable to think about that sort of thing. The idea may not always be present, but it always came back. It was new. It was fun. Best of all, no one really cared. (Okay, so the first time had Asuka march into Manjoume's chambers and demand he sound proof the rooms. So, maybe a little?) She blinked; it's all it took. Yusei pushed her down, and she kneed him in the ribs. He keeled over with a grunt. Yes, the tension never lasted long.

With Yusei, it was really hard to tell what the actual mood was. When he grabbed her wrist and pulled her down, (Gently of course, however, Aki's definition does vary.) she assumed that her guess was correct and kicked his shins. He winced but grabbed her other wrist. She hesitated when he didn't proceed. (Or it was the other thing?) Yusei smiled, and Aki felt a surge of adrenaline at this small cue that she was in some deep shit. She dug her heels onto the matt, but it provided little traction and actually helped toss her onto Aslla Piscu's Altar. He jabbed her with his elbow, and she yelped, instinctively grabbing his hair. (A little petty but effective in bringing him into her clutches and Aki liked to win.) She used her other arm to yank him forward and further propel him into a lucrative position. With this twist, they were both on the altar, breathing heavily.

"It was the other thing wasn't it?" she asked, and he nodded. Aki slapped her forehead in self-reprisal.

"Of course," she muttered as Yusei patted her back sympathetically. (It's not like play fighting wasn't normal.)

"The garden?" he asked, and she nodded this time. (The mood was probably ruined anyway. )

The garden was a sort of miracle that was rare to come by in the city, let alone Satellite. (It didn't matter. Aki didn't consider herself a citizen of either. She lived in Eden.) The story of how it came to be was a simple one. She wanted it, and Asuka made it happen. Aki knew she was spoiled compared to the rest of her family, with the possible exception of Yusei who tended to get things whether he asked for them or not. In the beginning, she had wanted to copy one of her favorite cards as much as possible, but roses had fallen out of her favor soon after receiving her new deck. (A child can be fickle, and the seemingly saintly cards made a good impression on her. She kinda missed her old deck but was too embarrassed to ask Asuka to replace it after all this time, especially when it was Aki who burned it to cinders in the first place.) There were white columns covered in ivy and various trees of different pinkish hues including Sukura, Ume, and Momiji that lined the walking area. There were clusters of hydrangeas everywhere in seeming random order. (She had been given free reign on where to plant them when she was little.) The building itself produced its own artificial rays, and it was easy for one to forget that they weren't really outside.

The plants seemed to sway appreciatively, and taking a fancy to showing off today, she extended her hand to one of the cherry blossom's branches, and it appeared to reach out and touch her fingertips. Unfortunately, the effect was somewhat ruined by the Clematis, Wisteria, and Magnolia attempting to do the same. Yusei plucked a sukura blossom from the branch and tucked it behind her ear. She eased her control of the plants so they gently swayed once more, blushing madly, but otherwise not suffering fatigue.

"You have a marvelous gift Aki. It's not something to be ashamed of," Yusei said idly. The smirk hadn't left his face, and she, therefore, didn't think much of the words he said. She hadn't been ashamed of her powers for quite a while. In spite of the light banter, Aki chose to walk ahead and distance herself so she could calm down a little. Yusei rarely acknowledged their relationship, at this point it was a given. (They had sound proofed rooms for Piscu's sake.) He was quick to take hold of her hand as she walked forward but let her cover her face without further comment.

"I'm fairly normal compared to the rest of the family. They have helped me off a dark path but . . ." Aki said, biting her lip. She had been reluctant to admit it, but along with some added pleasures, her trip into adulthood made her aware of certain things, (darker things.), like what exactly letting the world rot implied. She'd been working as a hospital volunteer long enough to have a problem with that.

"Don't you think this arrangement we have with them is too good to last?" she asked, wondering if he had the same misgivings she did. He was much more sensible than his brothers after all. He seemed surprised by the comment but glad they had reached a place to sit. She joined him on the bench overlooking the pond, where the lotus blossoms floated blissfully unaware of the current that manipulated it. She missed that.

"They would not abandon us," he said, more defensive than his usual comforting tone. Aki focused on her hands with her wonderfully claw like fingernails, before sighing. He didn't get her question at all. There was a knot that wouldn't leave her stomach which told her bad things were coming, and in some respects, it was her fault they were coming. (Maybe, it was a vague fevered whisper she would hear from the bird.) She blamed Asuka for flat out telling her that one day there would be no point continuing her hospital work, and it was simply a way to keep Aki occupied. When she'd asked why, Asuka had smiled, a clever little smile and told her some fairly alarming things.

_"You won't die this way. You appreciate life too much," she said as if that had been a problem all along. Then again, Asuka was rarely well. She was still. She was quiet. One hardly noticed her in the room half the time, but she knew Aki as she knew the rest of her children. Aki found it down right creepy how easily she could see through her. Asuka may not always speak, but when she did, Aki knew she should listen. _

_ "Don't tell me you never thought about living forever?" she said with an amused smile._

_ "That's disappointing. I was so careful with all of you," she said. _

_ "You didn't give this burden to anyone else," Aki complained. The others didn't give a damn if the rest of the city died a few months from now. Aki would cry for years. Asuka shook her head._

_ "Crow has charges of his own. He will cry with you," Asuka said, watching her as if she hadn't read her mind. And maybe, she hadn't; she wasn't sure of very many things when it came to Asuka. _

_ "Jack, well, Jack doesn't care about much. I've never really known how to handle him that well," she said honestly. Asuka could hardly bring herself to care. _

"Aki?" Yusei asked worriedly. Aki blinked; she'd spaced longer than she planned.

"I mean . . . when the end comes," she said, and in an instant, Yusei seemed to relax. They'd been reassured many times that things wouldn't be all that different.

"You know what I told Asuka when I was two?" Yusei asked.

"Am I supposed to know?" she asked in return, leading to a warm embrace she wasn't expecting. She colored again, but took a deep breath. Just because it was a new feeling, didn't mean she should be paralyzed by it.

"Can I keep her mommy?" Yusei whispered into her ear, and it took a minute for what he said to truly register. She found herself embracing him much more tightly than he was.

"Really?" she asked, an entirely different warmth entering her, somewhat stronger than a soft blanket's touch yet not the hot flash of water that spread down her body in the shower. It was new. It was great. He nodded, and they slowly laid themselves on the bench as the lotus blossom spun blissfully unaware of its caretaker's actions. He was hers.

Mornings sucked, or at least, that's how Yusei felt today. Yusei and his brothers happened to like bathing in the artificial hot spring together. This wasn't normally a problem, and Yusei didn't think it would be a problem today until . . .

"It looks like you've been attacked by a wild animal,' Jack said with a smirk, knowing full well who actually made the marks on his back. Yusei's cheeks burned a bright red and accompanied by a humiliating warmth. It was a new feeling, or at least, a feeling more intense than he was used to.

"Shut up," Yusei snapped, unable to fabricate a convincing lie. Yusei knew that telling them to shut up was as good as admitting it.

"So, Aki was a cat in a past life," Crow said, proceeding to emit a low whistle. Yusei put his shirt back on.

"Oh, come on Yusei, we were just messing with you!" Crow shouted, but Yusei was more worried about distancing himself from Jack. He had and would pull him into the hot spring if given the opportunity, and Yusei suddenly wanted some time alone. Given the circumstances, he would think they would understand, but then again, Yusei had never seen them with a girl. He could ask. Then again, it was close to impossible when one considered how regulated their visits to the city was. For such a thing to happen, they would have had to sneak off alone. Yusei shook his head to dismiss the thought, deciding that he was better off not knowing.

Jack didn't make a move to stop him. In fact, he noticed that Jack had stopped treating him like a baby some time ago. Yusei believed it had started around the time he had successfully wrestled him to the ground during a sparring match last year. (The same year he had gotten a little taller.) He was on the verge of being an adult, seventeen, and yet, this didn't seem to mean much to Asuka. She treated him the same as always which is why it was best to avoid her before breakfast. Yusei wanted time to think. Last night had confused him badly. While it wasn't their first time, Yusei did realize when he opted to spend the night with her that he was extremely attached. (Actually, he knew deep down that he always was. He liked fixing things that were broken.) It wasn't just fun. It wasn't just for the hell of it. He liked her dammit and that presented a certain problem.

They were supposed to be brother and sister, but they weren't. Which was a decent justification in itself for their relationship, but then, it led to another dilemma. Did Aki love him simply because it was convenient? Because out of the three of them, he seemed like the best choice? Would she choose someone else given the opportunity? Did Aki even understand what love was given who they were raised by? And did he for that matter? Their guardians were restless spirits who did seem to genuinely care for them, but it didn't seem to be the same kind of affection he noticed the few times he'd people watched in New Domino. In fact, Yusei had become aware of certain things now that he was grown. One, compared to humans, the dark signers expressed ten times more emotion. They loved too much, and if they could love too much, they could hate in the same way, anger in the same way, and despair in the same way. He had witnessed all these things, and Jim had told him to keep it to himself. And yet, he worried for his mother most of all. While Asuka expressed much open affection for him, she generally maintained a calm demeanor otherwise. (Something that bothered Crow greatly while Jack and Aki remained indifferent.) And then . . . and then, there were the moments she snapped. He had no idea why she was the way she was, but he did know something - something was deeply broken, inside her.

Their family had enough issues without him tangling the strings further, and he was tempted to simply find Aki and end it. It's not like it mattered. Not really, they . . . they had spent years together as friends. Nothing would change. Not really . . .

He removed his shirt and stared at the claw marks that started near the center of his spine and ended along his ribs. He sighed. Things already had.

Asuka could tell how her day would go based on the sounds that she heard first in the morning. Today, it was the sounds of retreating figures and scattered searching. She sighed in acknowledgment. Her kids were busy today, so it would be peaceful if boring. The high point being breakfast, provided they all showed up. Jack had been skipping breakfast as of late, something that she could not seem to reverse. She couldn't seem to make them do a lot of things lately. She blinked, checking for the dull buzzing of Aslla Piscu's snore or perhaps its guttural greeting. Since the infamous incident, Asuka was empty, relying on her children's ever diverting attentions. They were noticing things. She winced in remembrance. Things she wished they wouldn't, but she couldn't stop them from growing up. Things were ending, and it would all come down to the tiny little decisions she made when they were children. They would live, and yet, she wasn't sure she would. Then again, she barely lived at all so she supposed that was okay. Silence.

It reminded her of the most unsettling change of all; the bird was quiet. Aslla Piscu could still talk; she was sure of it, more than was particularly sane. The Humming bird's explanation had been simple and comforting. The creature's words echoed in her head as she dressed. _You have no delusions of life. There is no longer a need for words. We are one. I am always with you if you need me. _

At first, the new quiet and the imminent threat of death by Judai's hands had overwhelmed her, leaving her nearly comatose. There was only one thing she wanted and lying in bed was as good a place as any to wait. So, she waited and waited for Judai to come: excited, afraid, screaming inside in sheer relief that her patience would finally pay off. The Crimson Dragon's promises proved to be no different than her god's promise; it was slow to deliver and both as maddeningly silent. Eventually, indifference had set in. Hadn't she wondered if she still could think for herself? Wasn't this, in a way, a reward? And, wasn't she waiting for a pretty face and charming person that may no longer exist? True, he was alive, but wasn't she technically alive as well. She'd changed, a lot. So, he might have to.

This point sparked something Asuka hadn't had for a while, a day dream. (She'd been too embarrassed to do so in front of her god originally and the ability had escaped her.) Taking a breath to brace herself, she imagined, a tall, more defined figure with his back turned. She tried a little harder to picture his face, but seeing his baby face narrow into the almost feline definitions had been a shock enough when they were still in school. Imaging him that much older, took a lot out of someone who hadn't been in the driver's seat in a while (or at least not completely, of that she was certain.) Eventually she did, and it wasn't so bad. He had a beard, a slightly crinkled brow, crows feet, and a hole in his smile where a tooth should have been. If he were really there, she might have paused for a moment, before embracing him with all her might and initiating a deep kiss. No response, but eventually, he seemed to get the idea. Asuka might have enjoyed the fantasy a bit longer if Judai hadn't shivered when her hands snaked across his back. She withdrew them shyly; very aware, he was still Judai, and she was dead. At this reminder, the illusionary white of the eye faded to black, and she began cracking into pieces, punishment for even attempting to have a happy normal moment. He pulled back at the unfamiliar sight, wearily. A master when it came to dealing with strange things, he might have continued to scrutinize her, had he not noticed her falling apart. She smiled, attempting to ignore herself falling apart, but in a panic, he latched onto her hand, crushing it into tiny pieces of rubble. The day dream ended.

A loud and consistently forceful knock repeated itself, had she not known the young man on the other side, she might have been more irritable about the interruption, not that it had been going anywhere good. Asuka shook her head, to dismiss the remainder of the fleeting fancy, no wonder she never bothered with those things anymore. She made her way to the door, opening it before Jack could knock again. She caught his hand, and he smiled, attempting to lift her. Asuka only looked a little bored.

"Hello, good of you to actually show up today," Asuka said, keeping her calm mystique despite dangling off the ground. Jack's grip slipped after her sly comment. Luckily, she only stumbled slightly before landing gingerly on her feet.

"I told you that I would be practicing with the D-wheels all last week," he said, opening the door for her. She walked past him.

"You love those things more than me," she said, although she supposed there had been signs at an early age that would become the case. The door slammed shut behind her, and she didn't have to turn around to know the expression on his face. He didn't seem to agree.

" I love a lot of things more than you," he said, perfectly aware that he was crossing a dangerous line. Perhaps, she gave him too much credit. Asuka turned around, not bothering hiding her true appearance. He broke eye contact when he saw what sort of stare she was using on him. She turned around, satisfied. She didn't want to be late for breakfast after all.

"There is something I wanted to ask," Jack said, lowering his voice in an attempt at seriousness. She was sure that if she turned around that he would be looking at the ground and would have an unnatural focus on what he wanted to the point of tuning out anything she might say. Asuka didn't stop moving.

"Later," she said, increasing her stride. It wouldn't due to start the day with an argument, part of the reason she liked breakfast so much was that everyone remained civil, something about having a lot of witnesses around tended to subdue the underlying tensions in the group. And besides, being Jack, he could be asking for a number of things, and she needed to get her bearings before listening.

"Hello everyone," she greeted cheerfully, or at least, she thought so. No, one wanted to upset her, not with her track record. She supposed her taking advantage of this fact didn't help matters. Either way, she made them all uneasy in varying degrees. They glanced at her briefly before continuing breakfast. She sat next to Manjoume and Yusei as per their usual seating arrangement. This arrangement rarely changed; the last big change occurred when Ryo and Rei started sitting together. No one complained. Everyone knew why.

"How are you feeling?" Yusei asked. He asked this every day, and every day, she felt less and less inclined to answer truthfully. So, she let him know what he wanted to hear.

"Fine. How was the garden?" Asuka asked, causing Yusei to drop his fork. She smiled and ate quietly. Crow warned her not to go into Aki's garden anymore, in case seeing the act upset her. Aki appeared similarly flustered and blushed but continued to eat with little qualm. Yusei recovered and glared daggers at Crow who smiled sheepishly. Jack put a hand to his forehead and took a deep breath, mortified about something else. After all, Asuka was sure that they were all aware of the situation. (They did have interconnected rooms. )

Rei and Ryo smirked at each other and said nothing. Manjoume scoffed but wisely also said nothing in Asuka's presence. She noticed that they had been butting heads more often as of late. Asuka supposed it was only natural with the kids growing into individuals that more difficulties would arise. Edo thankfully was too wrapped up with, his own favorite, Rua to comment. Rua and Ruka, at first, didn't appear to be an agreeable fit to their family which had taken shape in a slow and difficult fashion, but they had quickly taken a shine to their older peers, particularly Jack and Aki. (Yusei had trouble communicating with them effectively, and Crow had his own group of kids he visited daily.) Asuka had been concerned at their lack of interest in the dark signers and that they might prove unwittingly useful to the Crimson Dragon who had yet to make an actual move. However, Edo's love of heros while somewhat darker than Judai's proved to be something he and Rua could agree on. In fact . . .

"Who would win in a fight? Ninjas or aliens," Rua asked, making Edo pause in the midst of eating his waffles. He seemed to seriously ponder the question before smirking confidently.

"Ninjas," he said, leading to a very skeptical Rua. Asuka smiled, and she swore that the honey on her pancakes was sweeter than before. In fact . . . he had mellowed out considerably.

"But you said that ninjas weren't effective in groups," Rua complained. Ruka rolled her eyes and shared her own smile with Asuka. She acknowledged the girl with a brief nod. The girl craved a mother figure and appeared to prefer Asuka's stable motherly affection to Rei's sometimes flighty disposition with kids.

"Yes, but aliens would not be familiar with the terrain. Ninjas would," Edo interjected easily. Rua replied with some sort of counter argument, but Asuka ceased to care. She had picked up on Crow and Jack's silent death match. They each attempted to cover the other's mouth, little progress occurred until Crow bit Jack's hand. Crow faced her as Jack glared at him, holding his hand protectively.

"Hey, can I bring some of the kids from the orphanage here for a visit?" he asked, surprising her. He had never asked her for much, and she found it impossible to give him a valid reason not to. Considering how attached Crow was to the trio, they would eventually be living with them anyway.

"Go ahead," she decided; the rest of the dark signers could behave for a day. Crow let loose a smug smirk. Jack humped, spinning his fork. Obviously, whatever it was, it was something that she should probably be aware of.

"Explain," she said, pointing at the two of them. Crow spoke up first as Jack gave him a snide look.

"I kind of wanted to talk to you before you were in a bad mood," Crow admitted. Asuka drank her milk, wondering if they truly believed her so volatile. She had very specific triggers, and with that in mind, she frowned. Perhaps, Crow had good reason for speaking up.

"Is there something you're not telling me Jack?" she asked, and Jack put his fork down, avoiding her gaze.

"I want to go to the city alone and start a dueling career," Jack said, eventually meeting her eyes. Asuka put her milk down, but in her rush it teetered and spilled. She stood, holding the edge of the table. Knowing the eventual outcome, Manjoume grabbed her elbow. She managed to ease the tension along her shoulders in response, but the ugly twist in her gut remained. Sensing her mood, Edo steered Rua and Ruka out of the room. Ryo and Rei chose to leave, deciding Jun could handle another breakdown just fine. He'd become quite good at it. Of course, the older children didn't leave. They remembered the other times too well. Yusei held his spoon aloft, staring at the now soggy cereal. Aki awkwardly held her empty bowl, unsure whether to intervene or not. Jack hesitated but eventually came up to her. Crow was not far behind.

"I'm not leaving you. I will be back," Jack said, very aware of what would happen if he wasn't careful. It was too late; the anxiety was kicking in. Judai left, and they would leave, just like Mr. Fudo said they would. She managed to hold herself together until Crow hugged her from behind, trying to show his support, for some reason, that made her reaction worse. She sobbed, quietly at first, eventually chocking on her own repressed sobs. Manjoume held onto her arm more tightly. She instinctively pried his hand away and tried to escape. She socked Crow's jaw with her elbow. Running to her room, she could hear them follow her, but she just needed to be alone. It wasn't something they could understand; the feeling came without warning, crushing any reason she had. They were all leaving; she could see it. This was just the final blow. Aki had expressed interest in attending medical school. Yusei would surely follow her and attend a university of his own. Crow technically already had his own kids that he spent half the day with. Jack . . . Jack was going to the city indefinitely to seek his fortune. Then again, no one brought up the fact that all these plans interfered with the apocalypse. Asuka could not compromise the apocalyptic date. So, what the hell did they expect her to do?

_What you always do, manipulate and lie to them, they may be unruly brats, but they are grateful brats. They will stay if you ask them to._ Aslla Piscu pointed out, causing Asuka to gape dumbly at the mirror. She hadn't heard the bird in a long time, and she was starting to think she never would.

I suppose I could. She said, breathing in an attempt steady her shaking body. Asuka retreated to the bed, curling up to reduce the shaking. The door opened; she didn't turn around at the creaking sound. They seemed to have chosen to only send one. From the shadow on the wall, she discerned the figure to be Yusei.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, sitting on the bed, judging by the slight dip on the bed.

"You haven't wanted to know in a long time," she said which caused Yusei to sigh in response. He encircled her, and she coughed uncomfortably. He did not let go. She did not resist the contact.

"You haven't wanted help in a long time," Yusei responded reasonably, increasing the volume of her sobs. This did not discourage him in the slightest, and soon, Crow came inside followed by Jack although Jack only came in when she nodded. Manjoume and Aki remained strangely absent.

"I'm sorry I have to do this," Jack said, walking so he stood in front of her. Her breath hitched; she was sure it wouldn't be the last time she heard that. Asuka grabbed his hand.

"I know," Asuka said, feeling the god seethe inside her. Today, it only added to the warmth in the room.

**Thank you for your patience. I hope this appease you while I work on the first actual duel of this fic. Things are just warming up in the second arc. **


End file.
